The Way We Were
by briinboots
Summary: Siblings and best friends Jess and Dani Mariano have had a rough life, but when things start to turn in a dangerous direction they are sent to live with their uncle where life takes a turn for the interesting. 2nd season. New Summary, sequel now up!
1. Trailer

_**When two worlds collide…..**_

Shows Jess hugging his mother, he whispers "I'll miss you, Mom"

Shows Jess and a blonde girl stalking down the streets of Star Hollow.

_**Will they shatter…..**_

Shows Luke yelling at Dani "Why would you do something like that?"

Dani shrieks, "Did it ever occur to you that I might not _want_ to be here?"

_**Or will they blend….**_

Shows Jess kissing Rory, then breaking away, saying "I'm from New York, this is not going work."

He turns away, as she calls softly, "Jess…."

_**Will certain people complicate the way…..**_

"What are you doing here, Liz?" Shows Luke throwing his hands up in the air. "They're happy, finally happy."

_**Or will the path be easier than they think….**_

"You set this all up for me?" Dani whispers.

A pair of arms wrap around her, "Happy birthday, little sis."

_**Will a brother and sister's relationship crash and burn…..**_

Shows Jess and Dani yelling at each other, Dani screams, "She's trouble, can't you see that?" Her voice softens as tears start to fall, "I don't want you hurt. I just don't want you hurt."

_**Or will it hold strong……..**_

Dani hugs Jess, "I love you so much." She laughs softly, "Stupid Hemmingway and all."

_**Starring…..**_

_**Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano**_

_**Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore  
**_

_**Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore**_

_**Scott Patterson as Luke Danes**_

_**And **_

_**Alyson Michalka as Danielle Mariano  
**_

_**Coming to a computer near you SOON!**_

A/N: Here's a trailer for my new story. Title suggestions appreciated!

Ledagirl321


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone- I'm back! I haven't written for AGES! I'm only in the sixth season, so I might not be all up to date. This story takes place in about the second season, "Nick and Nora" to be exact. Please review! They will make me update faster…..**

**Thanks!**

**Brianne**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, I do however own Danielle, please ask permission to use her. I do not own 'More Love' by the Dixie Chicks. Thanks! **

_Dedicated to: All of my wonderful reviewers!_

"Jess, Jess, _Jess Mariano_!" A 15-year-old girl hurried down the busy New York street chasing after a tall young man, immersed in a book.

"What is it, Dani?!?!" Jess snapped. As she continued to chase him, he whirled around and yelled, "What is it Danielle?!"

As she grabbed his arm and made him stop in his tracks, she yelled "Why did you just walk away from me like that?"

"Gee," Jess said in his signature drawl, "Could be because I found you kissing my former best friend!"

"Oh my God!" Dani shrieked. "You are still hung up on that!"

"Well, you'd probably be hung up on it too, if you knew that your mom hated you and was sending you and your sister to live with your uncle in some little no-name town, the next freaking day!" Jess said, yanking his arm out of her grasp and walking quickly away from her.

"What the…?!" Dani trailed off as Jess stalked away from her, then after a minute resuming her chase, "Was someone going to tell me? Am I supposed to just get on a bus with my brother and just sit on it until you get off?"

"Well then why don't you ask Liz?" Jess broke into a run.

Dani groaned and whirled around, walking home.

"Liz?" Dani called, pushing open the door to their apartment.

"In here, honey!" Liz called from the kitchen, her choice of words making Dani gag.

"Where's Jess?" Dani asked, glancing around the apartment.

"He's out with some of his friends." Liz said, waving a hand dismissively.

Dani leaned on the counter, making her mom look in her eyes. "So, Mother," She said, her voice raising with every word, "When were you going to tell me that you are freaking shipping me and Jess to Stars Hollow to live with our uncle that we haven't seen in two freaking years! I'm not going, I like it here, two hours ago I was kissing Jess's old best friend!"

Liz sighed, turning away from her daughter. "Dani, it's not that I don't love you," At this Dani scoffed. "Seriously, I know I've been a bit wrapped up in whatever boyfriend or husband that I had at that point."

"A bit!" Dani shrieked, losing her cool completely. "Liz, the other day you called me 'Kim' after an old boyfriend you had years ago. I'd call that a little more than 'a bit'." She stalked out, calling, "You can send us to Stars Hollow, but we're still your kids. You can't just dump us on someone else." Slamming the apartment door, she sank to her knees, letting the tears overcome her. A few minutes or even a few hours later, she felt a hand on her back.

"Come on Kris." Jess's voice came out of the darkness, using his special nickname for her. "Let's get you inside. Liz's new 'boyfriend', Paul will be coming over soon, and I'm not leaving you to him." Wrapping his arm around her shoulder he led her inside.

* * *

The next morning at 7, Dani stretched and as she stepped off her bed, she stepped on something soft and covered in blankets. When the lump yelped, she shrieked and tumbled backward onto her bed, legs in the air, something popping along the way. She tore off the blankets revealing a sheepish Jess. "What are you doing in here?" She cried. "You have your own room, now go be a big boy and go sleep _there._"

He scrambled up at the mention of going to his room. "I'm not sleeping by myself with," He paused then hissed, "_Paul_, is out there, I'm not going out there with _him_."

"Well good, because if Paul's here, then there is no way I am letting you leave." She pretended to hide behind him, pushing him forward as he purposely shoved her backwards. "Not fair!" Dani whined, "I've been up for ten minutes and magical forces have already made me fall backwards twice!"

Jess smirked, "Either that or you're so clumsy that YOU fell backwards twice."

Dani pouted. "You're mean."

Jess grinned. "And yet you love me anyway." As he sat on the bed, Dani leaned against him.

"Who said?" She murmured sleepily, closing her eyes. She shifted her position against him, "Today is our last day in New York."

"What should we do?" Jess asked, still sitting there.

"Let's hit all the bookstores and record stores and then egg some houses." Dani suggested. "Oh crap, when do we leave?"

"Our bus leaves at 1." Jess responded, sliding her off him and moving to sit against the wall.

"Then I guess we'll leave out egging the houses. Man, that sounded fun!" Dani complained. "I want chocolate." She said randomly as her stomach growled in agreement. "Let's go!" She pulled Jess to his feet and dragged him to the kitchen. She shoved Jess in a chair and started pulling out a bowl from the mess of plastic plates that was their cabinet. Pulling open the fridge she groaned. "Why do we only have chocolate syrup?" She asked the sky, pulling the bottle out. As she dumped it onto a bowl and grabbed a spoon, Paul walked into the kitchen.

Jess immediately tensed, noting how Paul watched his pretty sister with interest. Jess grew even more uncomfortable as he realized what his sister was wearing, a tight fitting olive green tank top that matched her eyes and black sweatpants that were hugging in all the right places for Paul to ogle his sister. Jess stood up quickly, knocking over his chair, grabbing Dani's arm and pulling her back to her room.

"Jess!" Dani cried after he had shut the door and locked it. "What are you doing?"

Jess was breathing heavily and there was an unnamed fire in his eyes. "That freak that Mom dragged home is trouble; I want you to stay away from him."

"Of course, that will be so hard, considering that we're leaving this afternoon and won't be coming back. I don't think there's anything to worry about anyway. He seems like a nice guy. You're just being paranoid. Now, get out, I'm getting dressed." Dani half-snapped, her limits being tested, she was tired, and feeling ganged up on, being shipped to Stars Hollow and all.

"Well too bad, I'm your older brother; I know what's best for you." Jess snapped.

"Don't kid yourself," Dani said sarcastically. "You may be two years older, but I can take care of myself."

* * *

9 in the morning found Danielle Mariano dressed and packed, looking around at her room; Dani sighed and got up, picking up her guitar. While her brother dug rock, Dani was more partial to soft country, doing covers of songs, with her eclectic New York country band. They were always amazed at how she acted when Jess was around, her brother tended to bring out the slight punk in her. Dani laughed as she thought of the perfect song to describe her mood.

"_I'm so close to you baby  
But I'm so far away  
there's a silence between us  
And there's so much to say  
you're my strength, you're my weakness  
you're my faith, you're my doubt_

We got to meet in the middle  
To work this thing out

_More love, I can hear our hearts crying  
More love, I know that's all we need  
More love, to flow in between us  
To take us and hold us and lift us above  
If there's ever an answer  
It's more love_

_We're afraid to be idle  
So we fill up the days  
We run on the treadmill  
Keep slaving' away 'til there's no time for talking  
About trouble in mind  
And the doors are all closed  
Between your heart and mine_

_More love, I can hear our hearts crying  
More love, I know that's all we need  
More love, to flow in between us  
To take us and hold us and lift us above  
If there's ever an answer  
It's more love_

_Just look out around us  
People fighting their wars  
They think they'll be happy  
When they've settled their scores  
Let's lay down our weapons  
That hold us apart  
Be still for just a minute  
Try to open our hearts_

_More love, I can hear our hearts crying  
More love, I know that's all we need  
More love, to flow in between us  
To take us and hold us and lift us above  
If there's ever an answer  
It's more love_

_I can hear our hearts crying  
More love, I know that's all we need  
More love, to flow in between us  
To take us and hold us and lift us above  
If there's ever an answer  
It's more love"_

Dani frowned. It almost described her and Jess, but it had this incest sound to it, she and Jess were close, they were brother and sister, but would never, ever like the other like _that._ She shuddered at the thought. Gross. Her band has a gig at one of the clubs in two weeks. She ran over to her purse and grabbed her cell phone. Dialing her band on three-way, when they answered, her response was, "Guys, we need to talk."

* * *

"Kristin Danielle Mariano, it's 9:30 in the morning." Sara groaned, laying her head on one of her drums.

"I know that, but I kind of have some big news. " Dani shifted uncomfortably. "I'm, um, moving to Stars Hollow. My mom is shipping me and Jess to live with our uncle. Jess and I are fighting."

The band stared at her. "Very funny, Dani." Emily, one of their guitarists, broke the silence with a grin. "I was fooled."

"This isn't a joke!" Dani cried. "Don't you get that? My single, deadbeat mother is sending me to Stars Hollow; because she can't freaking take care of us herself! I haven't seen my uncle in a year, and even then it was a brief glance and now I'm expected to live with him!" She blinked away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said, not really knowing what she was apologizing for.

"Oh My God." Rebecca, the last member of their group and their violinist, stepped forward and gave Dani a hug. "I'm so sorry." The other two clustered around and joined in the hug.

"I don't want to break up." Dani cried.

"We sort of have to. But we'll text and call and run up huge cell phone bills and we'll applaud you when you're rich and famous, singing on American Idol." Emily suggested, making Dani laugh.

"You better. I'll be back for our last gig." Dani said turning to go. "Call me." Were her last words to the three girls.

* * *

At 1 that afternoon, Dani and Jess were sitting next to each other on the bus station bench with Liz beside Jess and Paul beside Dani, his arm draped across her waist. Dani didn't notice, she was staring into space, furious at her mother, picking at her black 'Heaven is for Wimps' T-Shirt, displaying an edge of her that fury or her brother could bring out, in this case it was fury. As their bus pulled up, Dani stood up abruptly, not-so-accidentally knocking into Jess, swinging her backpack onto her back. "Bye, Liz." Dani snapped, turning away from her mother.

Liz gently turned her daughter to face her, "I don't want you to hate me." She spoke quietly, as if afraid that she would hurt Dani.

"It's a little too late." Dani said harshly. Paul then enveloped her in a hug, putting his hands a little too low for Jess's comfort.

"Let's go." Jess snapped, pushing Dani onto the bus in front of him.

"Be good." Liz called, knowing full well that her son would cause all the trouble he could.

Dani sat on the bus next to Jess. "Now do you believe me?" He asked.

"About what, Paul?" Dani asked, when Jess nodded, she scoffed. "He's a nice guy; you're just being super paranoid."

"Whatever." Jess groaned, staring out the window taking comfort in the fact that his sister would see Paul for a long time, or so he thought.

* * *

**A/N: Was this fast enough for you guys? This will NOT be incest; Dani and Jess just have a very unique relationship, and I don't want it portrayed as something more. If you have any suggestions for the story, or for songs that you think describe relationships or people in the story, let me know!**

**Please review, and I will try to update soon!!**

**Thanks!**

**Brianne**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: This wasn't as fast as I would have liked. My muses stopped talking to be as soon as I posted the first chapter. Oh well. I'm watching Gilmore Girls right now and figured they might start talking to me again. Just incase anyone is confused, Jess calls Dani 'Kris', for her full name is Kristin Danielle Mariano. **

**Read and Review! **

**Brianne**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or Jess, very sadly, or any of the songs I use or mention. _

_Dedicated to: My mom, for being my confidante, my best friend and my number 1 fan. Love you, Mom!!_

* * *

Dani stepped off the bus, looking around Stars Hollow. Looking at the quaint little town, she groaned under her breath.

"Oh, my God." She heard Jess mutter behind her. She stifled her laughter at the sight of a creepy. gray-haired, bearded, guy in a sweater yelling at her uncle, something about repainting the diner. She swung her backpack onto her shoulder, waiting for Jess, he fell into step beside her stalking grouchily, his signature 'I-don't-want-to-and-you-can't-make-me' scowl on his face, Dani passed a brunette girl who was about Jess's age and a woman who looked to be her mother talking and glancing at them every once in a while. Dani tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, adopting her own scowl, stalking beside Jess. The townspeople parted to make way for the angry teenage duo. She and Jess stopped in front of Luke's Diner, the brunette pair Dani had glimpsed on the street, walking inside.

The woman walking up to the counter yelling, "Luke, coffee, now!"

Jess glared at the door, saying grimly, "Let's go and get this over with."

Dani smirked, "Hold on." She tucked her bangs behind her ear and started to strut like the brunette woman had a few minutes before. She strutted up to the counter and in a perfect imitation of the woman, yelled, "Luke, I said I wanted coffee!!" Jess, who had snuck in the door behind her, was crying from laughing so hard.

She heard her uncle's voice from the back calling, "I'm _coming_, Lorelai."

The woman, Lorelai, Dani supposed, called back, "That wasn't me!"

The girl muttered, "He'll never believe it."

Jess came up, wiping his eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That was brilliant, Kris." Dani blushed and fiddled with the silver ring she wore on her left ring finger (Yes, the wedding finger).

Luke came out of the back, swearing under his breath. "Language, Luke." Dani teased in her 'Lorelai' impression.

Luke looked up quickly. "Kristin Mariano." He growled.

Dani's outlook changed immediately, her eyes darkened and she unknowingly grabbed Jess's hand for support, without remembering she was mad at him. "Luke." She greeted coolly.

"Jess." Luke acknowledged her brother. Dani glances up at Jess to see his dark eyes cold, expression stony. "You can take your stuff upstairs." Dani swings her backpack covered in dirty bumper stickers on her back and goes behind the curtain to the stairs leading to the apartment.

A few hours later after Jess and Dani had wordlessly unpacked, Luke came up uncomfortably announcing that they were having dinner at Lorelai's house and that he thought Jess and Dani would like her daughter, Rory who was Jess's age. Luke had gone back downstairs and Dani and Jess had started to talk. That equaled one word.

* * *

Mistake

"Jess." Dani said his name softly, almost like she was afraid.

"Don't talk, Kristin." Jess snapped.

Dani winced, no one had _ever_ called her Kristin unless they were furious at her. "Jess, please."

"I said to not talk." Jess snapped, even harsher than before.

"I don't see was you're so upset about." Dani tried, almost pleading with him.

"Well, then, it's no wonder you don't see that Paul is trouble, then is it?" Jess said coolly, sitting down on the couch.

Dani groaned, "There is no talking to you when you're like this."

"I'm sorry, what else do you want me to do? Write a novel, turn cartwheels, learn to jump a horse?" Jess suggested sarcastically.

"Jess, I don't want to fight." Dani begged, tears making her sea green eyes glaze over.

"Huh, well gee, then I guess I better learn answer to the every whim of my little sister!" Jess yelled, sarcastically.

"Jess, just stop!" Dani screamed, tears now overflowing, she grabbed her guitar. "I'm leaving. Don't look for me, I'll come back when I'm ready." She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her. Running through the diner, she could feel the tears soaking her cheeks. She ran out to the gazebo, flopping down on the bench and sobbing, strumming the guitar idly. She thought she could feel her heart break, she was shipped off. Her mother wasn't talking to her, Jess wasn't talking to her. She didn't know anyone in this town.

* * *

A single line popped into her head. "_Forget your high society, I'm soaking it in kerosene. Light it up and watch it burn, teach them want they need to learn._" She played the whole song, losing herself in it. By the time she had finished several people had gathered behind her, watching the blonde. She smiled remembering one of the songs that her mother used to sing to her as a child, granted, not very well, but those memories meant the world to Dani.

"_You got to leave me now, you got to go alone  
You got to chase a dream, one that's all your own  
Before it slips away  
When you're flying' high, take my heart along  
I'll be the harmony to every lonely song  
That you learn to play_

_When you're soaring' through the air  
I'll be your solid ground  
Take every chance you dare  
I'll still be there  
When you come back down   
When you come back down_

_I'll keep looking' up, awaiting' your return  
My greatest fear will be that you will crash and burn   
And I won't feel your fire  
I'll be the other hand that always holds the line  
Connecting' in between your sweet heart and mine   
I'm strung out on that wire_

_And I'll be on the other end, To hear you when you call  
Angel, you were born to fly, If you get too high  
I'll catch you when you fall  
I'll catch you when you fall_

_Your memory's the sunshine every new day brings  
I know the sky is calling  
Angel, let me help you with your wings _

_When you're soaring' through the air  
I'll be your solid ground  
Take every chance you dare_

_I'll still be there   
When you come back down  
Take every chance you dare,  
I'll still be there  
When you come back down  
When you come back down_"

Dani shrieked as a hand touched her shoulder as she played the last chord of the song.

"I'm sorry." An Asian girl who looked to be Jess's age, or a little younger stood in front of Dani. "I heard you playing, you're absolutely amazing."

"Thanks," Dani said, blushing slightly. "I used to play for a country band in New York. I'm Dani Mariano, by the way."

"Lane Kim." The girl said, shaking Dani's hand. "I love your shirt."

Dani laughed, looking at her 'Heaven is for Wimps' shirt. "Thanks. My mom almost killed me when I first bought it, but my brother convinced her not to, her- my mom's, boyfriend hates it too."

"No dad?" Lane asked, sympathetically.

"Nope. He was one of my mom's many, many, one-night stands. My mom raised me and my brother." Dani answered, feeling a pang in her chest at the mention of her dad.

"I still have a dad, I think." Lane said, smiling. "I never see him though."

"I'm sorry." Dani apologized, privately thinking that it would be better to have a dad and not see him, then not have one at all.

"Don't bother." Lane said, waving a hand dismissively. "Want a tour?" Dani eagerly accepted, glad to be making a friend.

* * *

"And that's Luke's Diner, best food in town, you have to try some." Lane said, at least an hour later.

"Really?" Dani asked, then continued. "He's actually my uncle, but I haven't tried any of his food yet, well no. I tried his coffee when I was pretending to be Lorelai Gilmore, I think her name was, anyway, his coffee is absolutely incredible." The two girls opened the door and were met by a swarm of customers and loud rock music. "My brother." Dani explained.

"Let's go upstairs and get him to turn down his music." Lane suggested. "Besides, I want to meet him."

Dani shrugged and led the way upstairs, knocking loudly and getting no response, she opened the door. "Jess Mariano!" Dani screamed, trying to be heard over the music. That got Jess's attention. He went over to the stereo and turned down the music.

"What, Kristin?" He asked harshly, the tone of his voice betraying his stony expression.

"This is Lane Kim." Dani said by way of explanation. "Lane, my brother Jess."

The two vaguely waved to each other and exchanged 'hellos' and 'what's ups'. "You two don't look at all alike, but you both look like Luke, creepy." Lane observed.

"Different dad, same mom." Dani and Jess said together, then glaring at each other.

"Oh, I've heard Luke mention his sister a couple of times." Lane said.

"Yeah, anyway. Let's go, Lane. Jess, keep the music down." Dani snapped the last part to her brother, before tossing her head and laying down her guitar that she had been carrying around town. The girls walked out, as soon as they had closed the door they heard the music turned back up again, although not quite as loud. The two shared evil smirks and continued downstairs.

"So, what's with the 'Kristin'?" Lane asked. "Isn't your name Dani?"

"My full name is Kristin Danielle. I just go by Dani." Dani explained, walking up to the counter. "Hey, Luke?" She called.

Her uncle reappeared from the back. "Yes Dani? Oh, hey Lane."

"What's up, Luke?" Lane responded.

"Can I have a burger, Luke?" Dani asked, throwing in the puppy eyes as well.

"Me too?" Lane asked, attempting the puppy eyes and failing miserably. Dani cracked up watching her try. "Okay, how the crap do you do that?" Lane asked, giving up and laughing along.

"Lots and lots of practice," Dani smiled, her laughter not quite reaching her eyes, her blue orbs still revealed the scars of New York, scars and wounds that had not fully healed.

* * *

**A/N: So, not totally satisfied with this chapter, but there you go. I still need songs that remind you guys of them! Please! **

**Anyway, I'm always open to suggestions and constructive critisisim. **

**Thanks! **

**Brianne**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Long chapter. I am so tired. LoL I would **_**really**_** like some reviews other than the 'Good. Update.' I would really like some constructive criticism and suggestions. I plan to follow the story line with a few major twists. **

**Anyway, 'til next time!**

**R&R-**

**Brianne**

* * *

Dani walked down the streets of Stars Hollow, later that night, her arms full of groceries. Less than a day there and Luke already had her running errands. '_Well you _did_ offer, but whatever you need to tell yourself.'_ The stupid little voice in her head remarked. If her arms weren't so full of groceries and at the risk of looking idiotic she would have slapped her head. As she walked past what looked like an old barn with a sign announcing that it was 'Miss Patty's School of Dance', there were two women standing in front talking. Dani only heard a clip of their conversation and tried not to laugh as she listened. "That's Kristin Mariano, Luke's sister's daughter, she impersonated Lorelai, and Luke couldn't even tell the difference. I've also gotten a few phone calls from someone who says he's her mother's boyfriend, Paul." As Dani almost lost the inner battle she fighting with herself, as realization struck her she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, banging her head on the cans in the bag.

"Oh dear God." She whispered, her head starting the throb.

* * *

"Hey Jess." Dani entered the apartment quietly, as if afraid her brother would bite.

"Here." Jess spoke from his bed, smoking and shuffling cards, his tone a monosyllabic one.

"You will _never_ ever guess who has tried to call the local town gossip." Dani whirled around to face him.

"Let me guess." Jess intoned before his sister had a chance to speak, a smirk gracing his features. "Paul. The person who is not bad and is not thinking very dirty thoughts about you." The smirk was even more pronounced now.

"You're a stick in the butt." Dani informed him, putting away the groceries.

"Glad to hear it, want to play some poker?" Jess asked, still shuffling.

"Will you stop shuffling for one freaking minute?" Dani cried, running her hands throw her hair. As the phone rang, she dashed to answer it, throwing a dirty look at her brother. "Luke's." As she waited for the other person to hear her face fell. "Liz, and Paul. Yes, we got here fine. Two this afternoon. Yes, we're fitting in _fine_. Okay, it'll be here Friday. Whatever." She plopped the phone down, sticking her tongue out at it.

"You are _so_ immature." Jess sighed in his I'm-the-older-brother tone.

"Tell it to my winning hand at poker, buddy." Dani plopped down beside her brother on the 'air mattress' Luke had set up for him. "Jess?" She asked hesitantly.

"Huh?" Jess said, setting down his cards and turning to face his sister.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said, but her eyes told it all. She held him tight when he enveloped her in a hug.

"Me too, Kris." Jess answered, his love for his sister apparent, she just smiled and hugged him one last time before letting him go.

"We have to go get ready for Lorelai's." She reminded her brother. "Wonder how much she will hate me."

"A lot. Your prank was brilliant." Jess laughed, making no effort to move.

"Come on, Jess. Get up." Dani called across the room where she was pulling clothes out of a bag.

"Who's going to care?" Jess asked, still sitting there.

"I don't know." Dani feigned innocence, "How about her daughter?"

"Once again, who's going to care?" Jess repeated, watching his sister pull a brush through her hair.

"I'm sorry, when I said you were a stick in the butt before, I meant a _major_ stick." Dani replied irritably, her head really hurt now. She gingerly touched it, looking at herself in the mirror. "Crap." She hissed as she touched a particularly painful spot.

* * *

_**Later that night- Lorelai's**_

Luke rang the doorbell of Lorelai's house, Jess and Dani beside him. Jess was grumbling inaudibly under his breath, but stopped when the front door was opened.

"Hey, perfect timing. Sookie's about to break her own record for the most food served outside the Roman Empire." Lorelai smiled.

"Sounds great." Luke grinned. Dani shook her head, silently thinking, _'He has it sooo bad_'

Jess almost-sarcastically added, "Sure does."

Dani elbowed his ribs, hissing, "Be nice."

"So, come on in." Lorelai said, ushering them into her hallway. The group walked into her house, Jess and Dani continuing into the living room, Dani stood in the doorway a couple of minutes later than Jess, listening to her uncle's conversation

Luke said, "Sorry we're a little late. We had a little misunderstanding about what time we're actually supposed to leave to come here."

Lorelai smiled. "It's okay, how's it going?"

Luke sighed. "Jess and Dani are both upset and their mother's creepy boyfriend who Jess despises is calling around town trying to get Dani."

"Yikes." Lorelai said, feeling sorry for the young teens.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's go in to the kitchen." Luke sighed, pulling the hyper woman toward the kitchen.

Lorelai began introductions. "Sookie, Jackson, I want you to meet Luke's niece and nephew. This is Jess and Dani."

Sookie looks up. "Do you eat cheese?"

Jess almost broke Dani's 'be nice' rule. "What?" Was all he could say, struggling not to laugh.

"Nice to meet you too." Dani smiled discreetly at Jess.

Jackson tried one of his lemons and starts to rant. "Oh my God, this is the greatest lemon I have ever grown. I mean, this is a great lemon. Sookie, you gotta try this lemon. Isn't it a great lemon?"

Sookie tried the lemon and began to rant as well. "That is a great lemon."

"With special ranting powers," Jess added in an undertone to Dani.

Jackson offered a lemon to everyone. "Try it, it's a Meyer."

Lorelai tried to explain. "Jackson grows fruit and then scares people with it. Rory, they're here."

Rory called. "Coming." As she turned off her computer, she noticed Jess and Dani in the doorway. "Hey."

Jess walked into Rory's room, leaving Dani by the doorway. "Hey."

Dani followed her brother, shaking hands with Rory. "What's up, I'm Dani."

Rory grinned at the younger girl. "I'm Rory. It's nice to meet you."

Jess wandered over to her bookshelf. "Yeah, I figured."

"Jess. What did I say earlier?" Dani scolded, not noticing Rory's giggle at her antics.

Jess was glancing through her bookshelf, noticing the titles. "Wow, aren't we hooked on phonics."

Rory smiled, the smile of someone who had lost herself in a world of books, many a time, Dani recognized. "Oh, I read a lot. Do you read?"

Jess sent a warning look at Dani, telling her not to say anything, she crossed her eyes at him behind Rory. "Not much." He took at a book of the shelf and flicked through it.

Rory glanced at the title briefly. "I could loan you that if you want. It's great."

"I know." Dani commented, unable to stop herself.

"Have you read it?" Rory asked, eyes lighting up at the thought of someone who had read something that she had.

"Um, no." Dani shook her head, watching the light go out of Rory's eyes. "A friend has and recommended it to me. More like insisted actually." She laughed.

Rory looked back at Jess. "Anyway, you're welcome to borrow it."

"No thanks." Jess set the book down.

"Well, if you change your mind…" Rory offered.

Lorelai hovered in the doorway, watching the three teenagers. "Okay, we really need to get Jackson away from the lemons now, so we're moving the feast in the living room."

"Be right there." Rory told her mom.

"Um, I'm going to go get some food." Dani said, jerking a thumb towards the door.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," Rory responded.

Jess looked at her windows after Dani had left. "So do these open?" He asked.

Rory answered, "Oh, yeah, you just have to unlatch them and then push." She demonstrated.

"Great. Shall we?" Jess asked, opening one.

"Shall we what?" Rory asked confused.

"Bail." Jess said simply.

"No." Rory said firmly.

"Why?" Jess asked.

"Because it's Tuesday night in Stars Hollow. There's nowhere to bail to. The 24-hour mini-mart just closed twenty minutes ago." Rory explained.

"So we'll walk around or sit on a bench and stare at our shoes." Jess said, desperately needing to get out of the house, now.

"Look, Sookie just made a ton of really great food, and I'm starving and though it may not seem like it right at this moment, it's gonna be fun. Trust me." Rory tried to reason with him.

"I don't even know you." Jess said, watching her reaction.

"Well, don't I look trustworthy?" Rory asked.

"Maybe." Was Jess's answer.

"Okay, good. Let's eat." Rory said, walking in to the kitchen. "You want a soda?"

"Oh, I'll get it." Jess said, quickly devising a plan.

Rory shrugged. "Okay." She grabbed a soda and walked into the living room, where the group was talking and laughing. Jess made sure no one else was in the room and grabbed a beer and went out the back door.

* * *

Dani frowned noticing that Jess wasn't with Rory when she walked in, but decided to let it slide for a few minutes.

"You know ham was originally made out of rice?" Sookie asked.

"What?" Jackson asked.

"Mm hmm." murmured Sookie, loading her plate.

"Sookie…" Lorelai warned.

Luke suddenly noticed Jess was gone. "Hey Rory, where's Jess?"

"He's getting a soda." Rory explained.

Lorelai handed Luke a plate. "Here."

Luke looked at the plate. "I'm sorry, you must've mistaken me for you."

"Ooh, too much?" Lorelai asked, making no move to take any off.

"Oh, I forgot the garlic bread." Sookie realized.

"I'll get it." Lorelai offered.

"I'll go check on Jess." Dani volunteered, suddenly afraid of what her brother might have done or would do or say.

Dani followed Lorelai into the kitchen and looking around for Jess and not seeing him, she walked out the back door, not noticing Lorelai following her and staying just inside of the doorway.

"Jess, it's freezing out here." Dani said, seeing her brother standing by the porch railing, a beer in his hand. Noticing the beer, she snatched it from his grip. "Jess what are you doing with a beer? You can't just take a beer, just give me that!" After she had the beer, she mumbled, "Idiot."

"Excuse me?" Jess asked, coolly.

"You are such an idiot!" Dani cried. "You aren't even trying! Mom sends us away because you are getting in to a lot of trouble! Skipping school, underage drinking, smoking, faking murder scenes, banana peels on people's doorsteps, the list could go on forever, Jess. Just try to give it a chance. I'm going inside, saying goodbye and I'm going home."

"Whatever." Was Jess's response.

Lorelai couldn't help the gasp that let her mouth that the list of what this kid done as Dani came into the kitchen, she couldn't help but admire the way the girl had stood up to her brother.

* * *

"Hi everyone." Dani reentered the living room, "I'm really tired, it's been a long day so I'm going home."

She pushed open the apartment door and saw the answering machine was flashing, indicating that she had a message. She listened to the message, it's first word giving her chills. It was Paul's voice.

"I'm coming to get you."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow!! I asked and you guys responded! Thank you so much, let's make it a trend, please! Sorry this chapter has taken so long, but, today my 7-year-old sister is spending the night with my grandparents giving me….Drum Roll, please… uninterrupted time to work on this. Ha-ha-ha. Sorry, feeling a little evil right now. :- I have to be honest, I was BLOWN AWAY by those reviews, and then I realized that I didn't have a chapter ready, see this is what happens, you get tons of sweet reviews and then they turn around and bite you in the butt. LoL Anyway, this chapter takes place at the end of 'Like Mother, Like Daughter', I have taken bits and pieces of different episodes, so don't try to figure it out, it will hurt your head, trust me, ask mine. :- This chapter ends at the of ''. **

**Please review like you did last time! **

**Thanks,**

**Brianne**

* * *

Dani came downstairs right as Lorelai walked in and sat at the counter. Dani pulled on an apron over her jeans and grabbed an order pad.

"Hey, good party yesterday." Luke commented to Lorelai.

"Yeah, not bad." Lorelai shrugged.

"Yeah, I like the new look. It was very high-class substitute teacher." Luke said, beckoning Dani over.

"Exactly what I was going for." Lorelai said, visibly exhausted.

"Coffee?" Dani asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Oh, to go." Lorelai said, smiling gratefully and waving at Dani.

"Okay." Dani slid the take-out cup across the counter and taking a sip of her own coffee.

"Hey Luke, uh, I feel a little weird even mentioning this to you." Lorelai said hesitantly and uncomfortably. Dani escaped, flinging the apron down on the counter and hovered just out of sight, behind the curtain that hid the stairwell.

"What?" Luke asked, Dani was just able to see her uncle's head come up.

"Yesterday I saw you talking to Ava, you know, she's in my booster club?" Lorelai asked, not as hesitant now, Dani wasn't sure if that was good or not.

"Yeah, I know who she is." Luke answered warily.

"Oh, good. Well, good. So anyhow, I saw you guys talking alone and it seemed kind of private, and she mentioned earlier that you didn't make her, you know, gag, so I just figured you guys were making some sort of plans to hang out. And see, the thing is, I just think it would be a little weird if you started dating a Chilton mom. Look, I know I have no right to say anything to you, but it's just, um, if you did date her, well, I'm in the Booster Club with her, which means that I'll hear things, and I don't know, it's just, I'd like to keep that Chilton life separate from my Stars Hollow life, so if there's any way that you could not date her, that would be really great." Lorelai started to ramble, Dani winced at her rant, it was _never_ good to ask a Danes man about their love life, she'd learned that the hard way with Jess.

"Boy, I tell you, you've got nerve." Luke said angrily.

Lorelai tried to save herself, very weakly. "Okay. Well, I know this is your private business."

"It is my private business." Luke snapped, scrubbing the counter with barely controlled rage.

"You don't see any validity to my side at all?" Lorelai asked desperately.

"I am a grown man. You cannot tell me who to date." Luke growled, still attacking the counter.

"I'm not telling you who to date, I'm telling you who not to date." Lorelai tried to reason.

"You can't tell me that either." Luke said.

"Look…" Lorelai started.

Luke interrupted. "I will date who I like, and if that screws with your plans, then sorry. And if you don't wanna hear things, then don't listen."

Lorelai tried again to speak, "But…"

Luke again interrupted. "If you don't like it, you can just deal with it."

Lorelai threw her hands up in defeat. "Okay, I'll just deal with it."

"Good." Luke snapped.

Lorelai started to get up from the counter. "I just thought that if something was going to affect our friendship in some way that you might care about that, because if the situation was reversed, then I would care, but hey, that's me, and so…go ahead, date her, marry her, make her Mrs. Backwards Baseball Cap, live happily ever after, see if I care."

"And by the way, I wasn't asking her out. I was giving her directions for the quickest way back to Hartford. It was very romantic. I said you take a right at Deerfield, and you catch the I-5 and you take it south. Oh man, hot stuff." Dani shook her head at her uncle's attempted sarcasm.

"That is so typical of you." Lorelai snapped, starting to lose it.

"What?" Luke asked, taken by surprise.

"That is not the quickest way back to Hartford. Everybody knows that you take Maine to Cherry to Lynwood and then grab the I-11. Everybody knows that, Luke. Everybody, apparently, but you!" She turned and left, leaving Luke to take the finish off the counter. Their conversation over, Dani escaped to the apartment. She flopped down on the bed that she had taken from Jess, recruiting him to the couch. She hadn't gotten any more threatening messages from Paul since the one almost a week ago. She eventually fell to sleep, tossing and turning and occasionally crying out, to be woken by a concerned Jess.

* * *

The first thing Dani saw in the morning was Luke and Lorelai sitting at a table, talking. She seized an apron and order pad and wandered over.

"So, the first thing you and Sookie would do is incorporate." Luke explained.

"Wow. Sounds so big time." Lorelai said, looking at the notes.

Luke glanced at the notes. "Not really. It just means you're a single business entity. You'll both be officers and shareholders, and you'll get to make up a name for your company and everything."

"Mmm, I'm terrible at coming up with names. When we first bought out house, Rory and I wanted to name it, you know, like Jefferson named his place Monticello, but all we could come up with is The Crap Shack." Lorelai laughed, smiling at Dani as she came over.

"Sounds perfect." Dani teased,

Jess came over. "Coffee?"

"Duh!" Dani held up her hands in the shape of a cup then, shrieked and pulled them to her as Jess made to pour hot coffee on her.

"You don't look like a paying customer." He informed her as he gave Lorelai coffee.

"Oh, yeah, thanks. How are you Jess?"

Jess shifted back into 'slacker' mode. "Well, I'm not bleeding or anything."

"Well, then it's gonna be a good day, huh?" Lorelai tried to make conversation.

"Yeah. It's 7:45." Jess rolled his eyes.

"So?" Luke broke into the conversation.

"So do you want me to go to school or do you want to openly defy child labor laws?" Jess asked sarcastically.

"Go. Stay out of trouble." Luke shooed the two teens away.

"Guess that means calling off the chickie run down at the salt flax." Dani said, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Out." Luke pointed to the door, which Jess took gladly.

Lorelai watched the 17-year-old go. "Wow, so much love." She commented.

* * *

"Everyone's accounted for Taylor. It looks like this is just an elaborate prank." Was all Dani could hear of the policewoman's comment across the street.

"But it looks so real. Where'd they get the police tape?" Taylor complained, the next sentence inaudible to Dani.

"Who'd be depraved enough to pull a stupid prank like this?" Dani heard this sentence, she shared a smirk with her brother who stood next to her, also surveying the fake murder. Jess slung his arm over her shoulders after catching Rory Gilmore's gaze.

* * *

Dani and Jess entered the diner after school to see Luke walk over and hug a woman standing with Lorelai and Rory.

"Mia, hey!" Luke smiled.

"Nice to see you Lucas." The woman, Mia, said, holding Luke at arm's length to look at him.

"You're the only person in the world who can call me that, Mia." Luke teased, leading her over to a table.

"I know this." Mia said confused.

"I'm saying it for others who plan to try it later." Luke caught Lorelai and Dani's eye, silently pleading.

"Whatever Lucas." Lorelai waved a hand in dismissal.

"Mia, you know anything about toasters?" Luke asked hopefully.

"Not a damn thing." Mia said cheerfully.

"Well, then sit down and let me get you some coffee." Luke said.

"Do I get some coffee too?" Dani asked, trailing behind him, backpack still over her shoulder.

"No, Dani." Luke said, pouring the coffee.

"But, don't you want a helper who's quick and cheerful?" Dani asked, "I can't be that without coffee." She batted her eyes at him, turning on the full charm. "Coffee loves me, Uncle Luke."

"You know it'll kill you right?" He growled, sliding a cup across the counter to her.

"How could something so sweet and perfect, kill me?" Dani asked, holding the cup to eye level.

"Hear, hear!" Lorelai called across the room. Dani smiled and went upstairs, still nursing the coffee cheerfully.

Dani returned downstairs to hear Lorelai beg for the 'vintagey blue coat'. She refilled customer's coffees in time to hear Mia say that she was not getting it. "Dirty!" Dani gasped as she refilled their coffees, stealing Lorelai's line. She took the coffee pot next to the counter and stared over Luke's shoulder with Jess looking over her at Luke fixing the toaster.

"You're making that worse." Jess said, taking the toaster away from him.

"Big help, thanks." Luke said.

Mia called across the diner, "Luke, that's your nephew?" Luke and Dani walk over to their table.

"It's Liz's kid. Jess, this is Mia, she owns the Independence Inn." Luke explained. "And this is my niece, Jess's sister, Dani."

"Huh." Was all Jess said.

"That's 'Hello, nice to meet you' in slacker." Luke explained.

"And this is 'Hello, nice to meet you' in English." Dani grinned, shaking Mia's hand.

"You don't need me down here, do you?" Jess left, without waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry Mia. He's just…" Luke started.

"Screwed up?" Dani interjected.

"Oh please, forget it. You weren't exactly a talkative boy yourself when you were his age." Mia said.

"Luke, I'm going upstairs." Dani said. "Bye, everyone." Mia and the others waved as Lorelai grilled Mia on Luke as a boy.

Dani checked messages before pulling out her homework. Paul's chilling voice once again entered the apartment. "_You can run, but you can't hide. I'm coming to get you._" Dani laid her head on her homework, knowing that there was no way she was going to concentrate now. She took her homework downstairs into the diner, hoping that the noise and the crowd would keep her mind off of things. She grinned as she walked into an infamous, Luke and Taylor argument. She slipped into a seat beside Lorelai.

"So what is it now?" Dani asked.

"The fake murder." Lorelai whispered. Dani could feel herself start to blush, she ducked her head, her hair hiding her face.

"I have conducted a thorough investigation of all the people who may have inadvertently been witness to the phony murder at my store last night." Taylor said pompously.

"There was a phony murder?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, the town's too dull to work up a real murder." Lorelai said, concentrating on the argument.

"But you're one 'beam me up Scotty' reference away from being the victim of one." Rory advised.

"Three people have reported seeing Jess in that area late last night, skulking, lurking." Taylor reported.

"There were a lot of people out late last night. I know because I fed some of them. I'll give you their names so you can add them to your suspect list." Luke snapped.

"Another person witnessed Dani walking out of an arts and crafts store two days ago with what appeared to be chalk." Taylor added, watching Luke's reaction carefully.

"You appear to be bugging me Taylor." Luke groaned.

"What are you going to do about it, Luke?" Taylor asked.

"About what?" Luke said.

"About the results of my investigation." Taylor said impatiently.

"Absolutely nothing, but thanks for the info." Luke said, going behind the counter.

"You have to do something. People want action." Taylor cried, following Luke.

"People, meaning you." Luke said, looking Taylor in the eye.

"Not just me. I speak for the Stars Hollow Business Association, the Stars Hollow Tourist Board, the Stars Hollow Neighborhood Watch Organization, and the Stars Hollow Citizens for a Clean Stars Hollow Council." Taylor said, naming off four of the town committees.

"All of which are you." Luke said, grabbing plates from Caesar.

"So are you going to act." Taylor said, following Luke across the diner.

"Yes I am. I'm going to act like you never came in here." Luke slammed plates down with some sort of force, Dani couldn't tell it's origin, probably the little bug in his ear named Taylor Doose.

"Fine, have it your own way. But I warn you, there's going to be a lot of unhappy people at S.H.B.A., the S.H.T.B., the S.H.N.W.O. and the S.H.C.C.S.H.C." Taylor said, shrugging.

"F-I-N-E." Luke snapped, getting a giggle out of Dani and Rory.

"Oh, you're. . .you're impossible, you are impossible!" Taylor cried walking out.

Dani sighed and pushed back her chair, and taking her homework, she went outside to the Town Square. She went up to the gazebo and tried to do her homework there. After about thirty minutes of doing one page she gave up. She took it back upstairs in time to hear Paul leave, yet another, message. "_I am coming to get you, there is nothing you can do to stop me._"

* * *


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! This one takes place with 'The ****Bracebridge**** Dinner'. I posted the other chapter and needed to write some more! This chapter really delves right into the mystery and action/adventure, I hope I'm not rushing into it, let me know! Please review!**

**Brianne**

* * *

Three days later, Dani was taking Kirk's order as Lorelai, Rory, and Sookie walked in, she quickly took Kirk's request and gave it to Caesar.

"You girls want anything besides coffee?" Luke asked.

"Hey, what about Luke?" Sookie said excitedly.

"What about him?" Dani asked, sliding into a chair inbetween the two women.

"He eats, you eat, and Jess eats. Doesn't Jess eat?" Sookie pointed out.

"Jess eats." Dani assured her.

"What's she doing?" Luke asked his niece.

"I think she's inviting you for dinner." Lorelai said.

Sookie agreed, "Yeah, come on, join us. It'll be fun. You like Peacock Pie?"

"I'm a hundred percent sure I don't." Luke said, confused.

"There'll be normal food too." Lorelai reassured him.

"And decorations." Rory chimed in.

"I love decorations!" Dani chirped happily.

"And music." Sookie added.

"This is that special dinner you guys were throwing at the Inn." Dani realized, piecing it together. "What happened?"

"They got snowed in." Rory confided. "But, we're left with all this amazing food. Thank God." She and Dani laughed.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Lorelai begged.

"Well…" Luke hesitated.

"Hey, you know what? Let's invite everyone." Lorelai suggested.

"Everyone who?" Sookie asked, confused.

"Everyone everyone." Lorelai was getting excited.

"Everyone everyone who?" Sookie still wasn't getting it.

"The town." Dani breathed, catching on. "It's perfect!"

"And they could even stay in the inn. All those empty rooms, all those uneaten pillow mints." Rory said, clapping her hands. "It's so cool!"

"An out of control, over the top slumber party!" Lorelai cried.

"I love it!" Sookie chirped.

"Done! Spread the word." Lorelai said, standing up.

"Uncle Luke?" Dani pleaded.

"I haven't said I'd come yet so I'm certainly not going to suddenly become your messenger boy." Luke broke off as Lorelai stared at him. "Eight o'clock?" Dani shrieked and hugged her uncle.

"Seven." Lorelai corrected.

"Right." Luke nodded. "Dani, school."

* * *

Dani swung her backpack on her shoulder and waved to everyone. As she crossed the square that separated the diner and Stars Hollow High, she caught a glimpse of a guy who looked like Paul staring at her in a very odd, slightly creepy way. She quickened her pace and deliberately got caught up in a gang of students, so that she couldn't be seen. She chatted casually with Lane and tried to keep her features from telling anything. Inbetween classes she passed Jess in the hallway, she stopped him and told him in an undertone what she had seen that morning. Seeing that his sister was troubled and shaken from experience from that morning, though he didn't know why, Jess wrapped her in a tight hug that reassured her. Dani longed to spill it all, to tell him of all ten of the threatening messages he had left for her, that she understood why he had warned her against him, but something kept her from doing it. She couldn't name it, instead of telling him, she started to sob.

"Kris, it's okay." Jess soothed, his gut telling him that something was _very_ wrong.

* * *

Dani walked outside after school to see Jess and Chuck Presby fighting. "Jess, stop!" She screamed, flying down the steps.

"Keep it up pal, you'll get hurt." A guy called.

"Whoa, hey guys! Guys, come on, break it up guys! Quit it! Hey, hold it man, get off me!" Dean, Rory's boyfriend, tried to pull Jess away. Jess tried to punch him. "Whoa, hey, get off me man, I'm not fighting you! Jess, knock it off man! What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing." Jess stopped and gazed up at Dean.

"You saw it was me, Jess. Why'd you keep punching?" Dean asked.

"Had momentum." Jess shrugged.

"Well, I was trying to help you." Dean said, frustrated.

"I don't need your help, but thanks for offering." Dani flew up to him, absolutely furious.

"Jess Mariano!" Dani cried. "What were you thinking?"

"Chuck Presby's a jerk." Jess said honestly.

Dani sighed in frustration and led him home; catching sight of the person, she was sure was Paul, staring at her again.

* * *

That night at the Independence Inn as they were getting in horse-drawn carriages, Dani ended up in one with Rory.

"That it misses?" The driver asked.

Rory looked at Dani for confirmation, who nodded. "That's all." She called.

"This has been awesome." Dani admitted.

"Yeah, it has." Rory sighed, leaning her head against the seat. "I'm so exhausted."

"Join the club." Dani laughed.

The sleigh started to move, both girls jumped as Jess leapt into the seat beside Dani.

"What are you doing?" Rory and Dani demanded together.

"Well, I heard it was two to a sleigh - no more, no less. I didn't have anyone to go with, so. I was breaking the rules." Jess reasoned.

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Dani asked.

"You could've hurt yourself." Rory pointed out.

"I live on the edge. I can jump out if you want." Jess offered.

"Doesn't matter to me." Rory said, looking around Dani.

"Please do." Dani snapped.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Jess asked the two.

"What do you think?" Rory and Dani said together.

"I can't read your mind." Jess said sarcastically.

"Thank God." Dani muttered. Jess chose to ignore her.

"You got into a fight with Dean." Rory said.

"Dean?" Jess asked.

"Her boyfriend." Dani answered.

"Ah. He's still your boyfriend?" Jess said.

"Okay, you can jump out now." Rory snapped.

"I wasn't fighting him. I was fighting someone else. He jumped in on his own." Jess defended himself.

"He was trying to help you." Rory said, torn between admitting that Jess was right and defending her boyfriend.

"Oh, he should go into government service if he's so interested in helping people. But me, he can stop worrying about." Jess glanced at Dani, she was staring ahead, her attention somewhere else.

"Why were you fighting in the first place?" Rory asked.

"'Cause Chuck Presby's a jerk." Jess answered.

"You were fighting Chuck Presby?" Rory questioned.

"Yeah." Dani interjected, before Jess could answer.

"Oh, he is a jerk." Rory agreed.

"This whole town is weird and full of jerks." Jess added.

"No it's not." Dani jumped in. "Well, Kirk's pretty strange, but other than that."

"Then why are you still here?" Rory asked.

"What do you mean?" Jess thought he knew where this conversation was headed.

"I mean, school's out and you don't like it here, so why don't you just go home?"

"Our mom didn't want us to." Jess answered.

"I don't believe that." Rory hadn't heard Dani mention their mother.

"That's your right, I guess." Jess shrugged.

Dani spoke up. "Elizabeth is a fruitcake."

"Did Luke say she didn't want you to?" Rory asked.

"Luke told me it was his idea that we should stay. It wasn't his idea." Jess said, stopping when Dani started to get up. "Where are you going?"

"I left something at the diner." Dani answered, climbing over him.

"What is it?" Jess asked, "Maybe I took it."

"It's nothing you would have." Dani whispered, starting to shake.

"Kris." Jess drew her into his lap. "What is it?" He asked quietly. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"Well good, because I don't want to tell you." She snapped, hopping out of the sleigh, starting to cry. "Have fun." She found the diner unlocked and went inside. She poured herself a cup of coffee and went upstairs, she opened the door to the apartment. She checked messages, another chilling message from Paul. "_Turn around_." She stood there processing the message and felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against her temple.

"I said, _turn around_."

* * *

**A/N: I have messed with this chapter for three days and am finally happy with it. What do you guys think of Paul now :- I will not update until I have at least ten reviews for this chapter. I'm sorry for being like this, but it would be nice you know you guys are reading and hopefully enjoying!**** I think I'll get a pretty big response after the cliffhanger though. :-  
**

**Brianne**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone!! Sorry it's taken so long! This chapter was really hard to write for various reasons. The scripted part of the story starts in the middle of 'Richard in Stars Hollow'. Anyway, it's up now and with ten reviews and a PM. Thank you all, same ten reviews to update. And now for the review answers:**

**Just a Girl of the Hollow x3: **Sorry I made you gasp.Unless that's a good thing. Lol Thanks for your reviews.

**mrcrockz06: **Thanks. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

**Curley-Q: **Wow. I think goose bumps are good. I hope this satisfied your needs. 'Dirty!' lol

**hollowgirl22: **Sorry you're getting upset. You might have to wait a little bit longer. If she doesn't tell him in this chapter, she will in the next. I haven't decided yet. lol

**RBDFAN: **Me too. That's actually why I put him in. I needed an evil character.

**CuriousCaker: **Glad you enjoyed it. How was this chapter?

**h sloanx16: **Thanks! A new reviewer, love you guys! I try to portray them like that, I'm glad you see it like that. Any suggestions?

**Literati and naley forever:** How's this for Literati? Glad you enjoyed it.

**NERD1144:** I'm glad you love it. I plan on keep writing!

**Aiden-Tonic:** Sorry you feel that way. I know it's cliché, but I couldn't help it. It was just screaming for it to happen. I know too well the consequences of rape. My little sister was molested at age two. I just had to incorporate into the story somehow.

**Thanks everyone! Love you all!**

**Brianne**

* * *

Dani lay curled up on the floor of Luke's apartment, naked and sobbing, her wrists were bleeding from where the bonds Paul had tied around her cut them. She felt…empty…. She couldn't believe she had her virginity, stolen by this man. What would Jess say? _Jess_… She got up, hissing at the pain in her abdomen, she pulled on some clothes and splashed her face with cold water to regain the color. Still crying and still hurting, Dani walked down the empty streets of Stars Hollow, praying she wouldn't bump into anyone. No luck.

"Dani?" Lorelai Gilmore passed the crying girl and caught her by the shoulders, "What's wrong?" She asked kindly.

"Nothing, everything." Dani sobbed, allowing Lorelai to hug her soothingly. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at the Inn?"

"Forgot pajamas." Lorelai said, holding up a plastic bag. "You want you tell me what happened, honey?"

"He raped me." Dani started to shake, both from memories and pure exhaustion. "He raped me and I can't tell Jess." She kept repeating that as she sank to her knees, shaking harder than ever.

"Honey, you need to breathe." Lorelai knelt down beside her, worried for the girl. "It's going to be all right, now who raped you?"

When she got no answer, she shook her gently, hoping to snap her out of it. "Dani, please tell me." When she still got sobs as an answer she pulled out her cell phone. "Luke, bring Jess down here, now."

When Jess came running up ten minutes later, their positions had not changed. He pulled his little sister into his lap and held her. Just sat there and held her. When Lorelai saw this, she finally began to understand the deep, special, unique, bond the two shared. "Kris," Jess said clearly. "I need you to tell me what happened."

Dani shook her head. "No." She whispered. "No."

"Kris, please." Jess pleaded, desperation entering his voice.

"No." She said so quietly, he thought he misheard her.

"Kris, please. Tell me." He said softly, noting how she avoided his gaze.

Dani shook her head, refusing to look at him, knowing if she did she would crack and tell him.

* * *

Luke, Dani and Jess stayed at the Inn that night, Dani tossed and turned, trying to sleep and finding it impossible. Around three, Dani gave up on sleep and pulled on some clothes, grabbing a sweater she snuck out of the room, closing the door quietly. She crept down the hall, almost holding her breath. She pulled open the front door, leaving it unlocked and slipped out into the early morning chill. She wondered down to the lake and sat beneath the weeping willow, skipping rocks. She pulled a book out of her back pocket, one she had taken from Jess one day, wondering what the fuss was about. She opened it, pulled out her pocket flashlight and began to read.

"Dani, wake up." Someone was shaking her shoulder.

"Stop." She moaned and batted the hand away.

"Dani, wake up." She was being shaken harder. "Come on, wake up." A cup of coffee was pushed under her nose and then jerked away.

"Not fair." She moaned, opening her eyes to find Rory in front of her, the sky still dark. "Hey." She sat up, yelping at the pain.

"You okay?" Rory asked concern showing openly on her features.

"Yeah." Dani rested the hot coffee on her abdomen, relaxing slightly. She groaned and lightly hit her head against the tree.

"Um," Rory hesitated, biting her lip, "My mom mentioned last night."

"Yeah." Dani grimaced. "Will you ask her to not tell anyone? I haven't even told Jess."

"Why not?" Rory asked.

"Well, picture telling your mom that your father's friend had raped you." Dani said, straightening up against the tree. "Fun conversation, huh?"

"Wow." Rory leaned on one hand. "You and Jess are that close?"

"Yeah." Dani sipped her coffee, enjoyed the warmth spreading through her body. "Wanna hear the story?"

"It might help me understand a little bit better." Rory confessed.

"Jess is the byproduct of our mother's, more likely than not, drunken affair with…I think it was the guy Luke calls the 'prize she picked up at a weinersnitzel.' The guy didn't even stick around to see Jess turn two months. He came back to see Jess when he was two and so began the second, once again, short lived 'romance' of Liz Danes and Jimmy Mariano, our dad left the next day and we haven't seen him since. Nine months later, enter me. Jess was my only friend; my mother was stoned every night, a different guy every week, if that long. Two weeks before we came here, enter Paul, the rapist. Jess knew he was trouble from the start. I scoffed at the very idea. I didn't listen and look where it landed me." Dani furiously wiped her eyes.

"Wow." Rory repeated, looking at Dani in a whole new light, now that she knew what the 15-year-old had gone through.

"Yeah." Dani laughed sarcastically, lying on the damp grass. "One of my favorite memories was when Jess made the mistake of telling me to shut up one too many times in one day and a week later, he was practically begging me to say something."

"A week?" Rory asked, laughing.

"Yeah." Dani grinned. "I still can't believe I lasted that long. I was only, like, nine."

"Now I'm scared to test your limits." Rory said, her blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"I tend to have that effect on people." Dani said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She yawned and stretched. "What time is it? Oh wait, duh." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "5:54. Crap!" She leapt to her feet, yelping.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Rory asked, accepting Dani's offer to help her up.

"Yeah. Um," Dani turned to face her friend. "Could you," She paused. "Would you mind reminding me not to yelp when I get up? It doesn't have to be much, just a glance."

"Sure, but…" Rory was cut off by something behind her, judging by Dani's wide eyes it wasn't something good.

"Why would you be yelping, Kris?" Jess stepped out from behind a tree.

"Because," Dani struggled to come up with an excuse.

"Because she tripped and fell in the diner last night. She's a little sore." Rory quickly jumped to her friend's defense.

"You okay?" Jess asked, transferring his gaze from Rory to Dani, who was standing behind her.

"Yeah." Dani tried to brush it off but couldn't help wincing when she walked toward him.

"You really sure?" He couldn't help asking.

She hugged him, needing his reassurance. "I'm fine." She whispered, kissing his cheek quickly.

"Glad to hear it." He grinned, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "Can I have my book back now?" Dani grinned and tossed it to Rory, who caught it and slid it into her pocket, zipping it shut, trapping his book. "Mean!" He whined, drawing smiles on the two girls.

"Life's tough, get used to it." Rory teased.

"Well, then I will become an old miser, rich and grouchy, I will live in my house, writing, curtains drawn and laughing at the world." Jess declared.

"Let me know how that goes." Dani laughed at her brother, leaning against him.

"No more phone calls to you." He teased, gently tugging on her braid.

Rory fell into step beside Dani, linking their arms. The trio walked toward the Inn laughing and chatting.

* * *

The next morning, Dani woke up to Jess banging around the apartment. She struggled to sit up in bed. "Hey Jess?" She called softly.

"Morning, Kris." Jess surveyed his sister, bluntly put, she looked like crap. "You look horrible."

"Thanks a lot." She retorted.

"I'm asking one more time, so please don't bite my head off." He pleaded, "But, Kris, something's…" He searched for the right word. "Different, wrong."

"I know." Dani said quietly, looking into her brother's chocolate gaze. "Something has changed. You were right, you were so right." She forced herself to keep looking into his eyes.

"I was right about what?" He asked, playing absently with her sheets.

"Paul." Was the only clue she offered.

"Kris." His voice had deepened with anger. "What did he do to you?" She showed him her wrists where the rope he had tied her with cut her. He gently ran his fingertips over them, ignoring her hiss of pain. "What else?" He looked up at her. She stood up, and lifted her shirt slightly in the back where he had tied her waist to the bed.

"Jess, I don't want you to hurt him." Her tone was firm and at the same time, afraid. "Give me a promise, I won't tell you what else until you give me your word." When he paused, she insisted. "Jess, he'd kill you."

"I promise." She sat next to him on the bed.

"Jess, he raped me." He dropped the sheet he was fiddling with and looked up at her, stunned beyond words. "When I came back to the diner that night." She spilled out the entire story, relieved to have finally told him.

After she was done, he looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked quietly, only his tone betrayed his hurt.

"I, I, don't know." She admitted. "I knew I was in trouble, and I was too proud to tell you. I didn't want you to think me weak."

"I would never ever think of you as weak." He said. "It took a lot of strength to tell me this, Kris."

She hugged him. "I love you." She whispered. He returned the sentiment, holding her tight.

* * *

Dani and Jess walked past the Stars Hollow bus stop on their way home to the diner. Rory and a friend got off the bus in front of them, not noticing the pair behind them

"I think I got rabies." The girl complained.

"It's just a bus, Paris." Rory said, obviously trying not to laugh.

"It smelled." Paris whined. Dani stifled a giggle.

"It smelled like a bus." Rory corrected, walking in the direction of Luke's.

"I'm gonna have to burn my clothes when I get home." Paris said, picking at her hair.

"You know Paris, you have a car. We could've driven." Rory pointed out.

"We have to get the feel of the small town world. You're not going to get the feel of a small town world in a BMW. Is there something crawling in my hair?" Paris, all but shrieked.

"All right, so we're here now, where do you wanna go?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, where's the bad part of town?" Paris asked, pulling out a notebook.

"Walking right behind you." Dani interjected, unable to keep silent.

"What?" Rory and Paris whirled around facing the grinning duo.

"This is Jess and Dani Mariano." Rory made introductions. "This is Paris Geller, she goes to school with me."

"Sup?" Dani greeted her while Jess waved vaguely.

"You said you're the bad part of town." Paris said eagerly turning on the Marianos. "What have you done?"

"We faked a murder." Dani laughed, her eyes sparkling with the memories.

"No way." Paris breathed, scribbling furiously. "Well, where's the local bar?"

"In Woodbridge." Rory jumped in.

"Why aren't you helping?" Paris turned on her.

"I'm trying, you're just looking for something that's not here." Rory said, leading the four to Luke's.

"What's this?" Paris asked.

"Luke's Diner." Rory answered.

"Our home." Dani said in unison with Rory.

"Diner. Okay, good, good." Paris murmured, looking up at it.

"Whatever." Jess muttered, pushing open the door.

Dani dropped her backpack behind her counter and donned an apron.

"What are you doing?" She heard Rory ask Paris.

"Trying just to blend in, fade away, observe." Paris retorted angrily.

"Hey Rory. Coffee?" Luke stood in front of them.

"Thanks Luke." Rory accepted happily.

"Who's your friend?" Luke asked.

"Angela Landsbury." Rory said, poking fun at Paris, just a little bit.

"Oh." Luke didn't get the joke.

"You're the owner here?" Paris demanded.

"Yup. You want some coffee Angela?" Luke asked, turning to get Rory's coffee.

Paris was openly staring at the diner. "No thanks. So, you run the diner, huh?"

"Oh boy." Jess and Rory muttered at the same time.

"You get a lot of truckers through here?" Paris asked. "You know your niece and nephew faked a murder?"

"Truckers?" Luke asked. "Fake murders?"

"Yeah. You know, guys on the road for weeks, lonely, looking for company, a little pick me up. Things like that." Paris demanded. "Rapists? Abusers?" Dani's head shot up at the mentions of rapists and abusers, she rushed upstairs in the middle of Kirk's order, feeling sick. Jess found her over the toilet, he held back her hair and rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's so hard." Dani cried, "Every step, every comment, everything reminds me of _him_."

"That's because it's an open wound," Jess consoled, "With time it will heal."

"What are you, Dr Feelgood?" Dani teased, wiping her eyes.

Jess laughed, "I'm going downstairs."

Dani stood, her face deathly white. "I'm right behind you."

"Hey, where'd he come from? What's up there? Is that where you keep the girls? You got yourself a little cathouse up there?" Paris demanded, not noticing Dani.

"Wow, I think she got you Uncle Luke. You better give up now." Jess added.

"Do not add to this insanity." Luke turned to his nephew.

"An innocent boy like me should not be raised in an atmosphere like this." Jess was really egging Paris on.

"Jess!" Luke was really frustrated now.

"I wanna be good, life's just not letting me." Jess was looking like an innocent little boy, barely able to keep a straight face.

"Rory, get her out of here." Luke sounded tired.

"Okay, let's go." Rory pulled Paris to the door.

"Why do you need me to leave? What have you got to hide?" Paris asked, struggling against Rory.

"Paris, let's go!" Rory pushed Paris out the door, calling behind her. "Mom and I will be by later tonight!"

Dani and Jess were practically rolling on the floor they were laughing so hard. "Where's this cathouse of yours, Luke?" Dani asked, between laughs.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jess playfully whined.

"Jess, dirty!" Dani gasped, poking her brother in the ribs.

"I'm going to the bookstore." Jess headed the direction he'd seen Rory and Paris go.

"I'm coming too." Dani followed him, half a step behind, stepping on his heels to make him go faster.

"Quit it, Kris!" Jess walked backwards down the streets of Stars Hollow holding her away from him. Miss Patty and Babette immediately started talking about the two's antics.

* * *

**A/N: Had to end it with a little humor there. I hope you guys enjoyed it and a new chapter will be up when I get my ten reviews! **

**Thanks all!**

**Brianne**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay. Sorry it's taken so long. It's only been eight reviews, but I'll take it. I'm going to NC for a week and will have limited computer access. I need a beta, anyone interested? Please PM me is you're interested. Thank you. **

**Enjoy this chapter! **

**Brianne **

**

* * *

**

Dani glared at the stupid little bell on the top of the door, from where she's was going through baskets for the basket festival. "There you are." Jess greeted her.

"What do you think of this one?" She demanded.

"Too big." He dismissed it, "I know you're going to rope me into buying it and I don't want to have to lug around a basket full of rocks that you put in it to make me believe that there's actually food in it, besides we've been here for two weeks and you're already expecting someone to bid against me."

"Wow." Dani stared at him, a funny look on her face. "This basket said all that to you?"

"Kris." Jess gave her his patented 'seriously?' look.

"I'm getting it anyway." She declared, leading the way to the register, after she had finished paying and was standing right beside the door, basket in hand, she squealed as a realization struck her. "Oh my God. You're coming with me to New York tonight."

"Why?" Jess asked, obviously confused. "Not that I wouldn't jump at the chance to get out of here."

"Tonight's our gig!" Dani cried, obviously excited. "Crap, I need to practice! See ya." She hurried out of the store, leaving Jess. He saw Dean and Rory kissing a few aisles down and decided to have a little fun.

* * *

Dani tuned her guitar and pulled out her cell phone. "Emily?" She asked.

"Dani?" Her friend sounded surprised. "I missed you so much!"

"Hey! Yeah, I missed you too." Dani felt homesick for New York hearing her friend's voice.

"You're still coming right?" Emily sounded worried.

"Of course I'm coming!" Dani assured her.

"Is Jess coming?" Emily asked, not bothering to hide her obvious crush on Dani's brother.

"Yes, Jess is coming too." Dani laughed at her friend.

"So why'd did you call? Not that I don't love hearing from you." Emily asked, teasing her friend just a little.

"Yeah, sure." Dani could hear her friends smile over the phone. "I have one song that I really want to do."

"Really?" Emily asked, excited, as always at the mention of a new song. "What is it?"

"Yeah, 'Whiskey Lullaby'." Dani answered, nervous of what her friend might think.

"Dani." Emily whined. "It's so sad. I don't know."

"I know, it's so sad, I cry every time I sing it." Dani couldn't help pointing out.

"You know it's a duet right?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"I know it's a duet, I'll sing both parts." Dani knew her friend would have an idea.

"No you won't!" Emily exclaimed. "I'll sing the guys part, just fix it to fit my pitch. Work on it will you?"

"No, I'm not going to work on it." Dani teased. "I'm going to go in having no clue what I'm doing."

"Mean!" Emily cried, laughter in her tone.

"You remind me of a friend's mom." Dani hadn't seen Lorelai since the night the woman had found her crying the street.

"I've gotta run." Emily said apologetically. "Give Jess my love and tell him he better be at that concert or he won't have a head."

Dani laughed. "Okay. I'm so excited!"

"Bye!" Emily hung up before Dani could say anything else.

Laughing at her friend's oddness, Dani pulled her guitar out and set to work. Jess came up the stairs of the apartment, he paused before opening the door, listening to his sister play.

"_She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger,  
And finally drank away his memory,  
Life is short but this time it was bigger,   
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees,  
We found her with her face down in the pillow,  
Clinging to his picture for dear life,  
We laid her next to him beneath the willow,  
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby_"

She hummed the tune, experimenting with the ending. Jess entered, opening the fridge. "Hey." Dani waved, looking up from the sheet music. "Emi sends her love."

"Back at her." Jess pulled a soda from the fridge.

"She expects to see you at the concert tonight, if you want to keep the empty head of yours." Dani relayed her friend's message.

"I'll be there, don't worry." Jess assured his sister, sitting at the table.

"Good, Jess, I beg of you, don't make Emi mad, or Sa, or Becca." Dani pleaded.

"Don't make Emily, Sara, or Rebecca mad for an entire night." Jess teasingly pondered. "Not sure I can do that."

"And I need you to find us a ride to New York." Dani added, ignoring her brother's comments. Her eyes lit up. _Lorelai_. Why hadn't she thought of it before? She and Rory would be awesome groupies. "Never mind."

"Okay." Jess pulled out a book. Dani laid her guitar on the bed and hurried down to the diner, hoping to find one of Luke's favorite customers.

"Lorelai! Thank God." Dani hurried over to their table. "I need you to take me and Jess to New York tonight."

"I'd love to." Lorelai didn't miss a beat. "But why?"

"My New York country band has a gig tonight." Dani got excited all over again.

"Really?" Rory chimed in. "That's awesome Dani!"

"I'm soo excited." Dani cried, eyes dancing.

"What time?" Lorelai asked.

"I need to be there at 7. We go on at 8." Dani responded, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

Lorelai placed a hand on her arm, stopping Dani mid-bounce. "Take a chill-pill hun."

Dani widened her eyes and filled them with fake tears. "You bursted my bubble, Aunt Lori." She whimpered in a child's voice.

Lorelai laughed. "You have taken your chill pill. Now, you go on at 8?"

Dani wiped her eyes, laughing and nodding. "And we play for, maybe, two hours, two and a half." She guessed.

"I can't wait!" Rory squealed.

"I know." Dani grinned. "Wanna come see my outfit?" Rory accepted eagerly and the two girls pounded up the stairwell. They burst into the apartment and Dani yanked open the closet and pulled out a silver short sleeve jacket, a sleeveless white shirt, and a pale yellow skirt with blue flowers dotted on it.

"I love it!" Rory said, fingering the skirt. "Any jewelry?"

"Duh!" Dani cried, rushing over to her jewelry box, she pulled out a slim silver chain with a delicate 'K' on it and some silver corkscrew shaped earrings.

"I like it." Rory approved.

"Glad to hear it." Dani grinned.

"I can't wait to see it on you. How are you doing your hair?" Rory asked.

"I haven't really decided." Dani wandered over to the mirror, Rory behind her. She ran her fingers through her hair, tossing it slightly.

"You should do it partially pulled back." Rory demonstrated.

"Or, I could do this." Dani adjusted it slightly.

"It might look better like this." Rory fooled with it a little more.

Three hours later, they had it nailed down. "Perfect." Dani squealed. "I love it."

"Good. Because it's time to get ready." Rory announced, glancing at the clock.

"I'm so nervous." Dani confided.

"It's normal." Rory reassured her, shooing her to the bathroom to change. A few minutes later Dani appeared. "You look good." Rory approved, straightening Dani's skirt and fixing a few minor things. "Now for your hair." Minutes ticked by and finally Rory was done. She'd pulled back strands of hair across her forehead to the opposite side and bound it in a mini ponytail underneath her hair, successfully hiding it from view.

"I look cool." Dani tucked some hair behind an ear and slipped the earrings in and put the necklace on.

"Ready to go?" Rory asked.

"Ready." Dani picked up her guitar and grabbed her purse. "Let's go." Dani led the way down the stairs, calling to Jess that it was time to go. Jess passed them on the stairwell going up to the apartment, claiming that he 'needed a few things'. "Well get your butt down here in three minutes." Dani called after him.

"Have fun." Luke said, looking up from wiping down the counter. "You look very nice."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke." Dani said, smiling at him, knowing that 'very nice' was a very high compliment from her uncle.

"Are you ready to rock?" Lorelai entered the diner, with a flourish as usual. "You look cool!" She looked over at the two teens. "Where's Jess?"

"Right here." Jess appeared beside Dani, complete in leather jacket.

"Two minutes and fifty-nine seconds." Dani informed him.

"I had a second." He retorted, taking her guitar.

"Thanks." Dani turned to Lorelai. "Let's hit the road!"

* * *

After the four of them had piled in Lorelai's jeep and were on their way to New York, Dani was playing a one-sided poke game with Jess and Lorelai was egging her on, Jess and Rory were trying to have a conversation and failing miserably, with the poke game and Lorelai and Dani making suggestive comments everytime one of them said something even remotely 'dirty'.

"Who all is going to be there?" Lorelai asked after Jess had stopped the poking and the conversation.

"Well my band, 'The Untamed Mares' consists of me, Emily our other guitarist, Sara our drummer, and Rebecca our violinist. Now, Liz will have probably heard about it and might show up, Sara is bringing her sister Lisa, who we all love." Dani's eyes twinkled as she poked Jess at the mention of Lisa. Rory stiffened as she saw her friend's actions, and tried to move the conversation from these treacherous waters.

"Any one else?" She asked casually.

"Um, Emily and Rebecca are sisters and I think their parents are coming." Dani bit her lip, thinking.

"Lauren might come." Jess said from the front seat, beside Lorelai.

"Joy." Dani groaned, starting to run her fingers through her hair before Rory slapped her hands away.

"Who's Lauren?" Lorelai asked.

"Lauren Bar is quite possibly the most annoying person on the planet. She likes, no, _loves_, controlling people's lives. She has this weird obsession with it." Dani explained.

"She sounds like my mother." Lorelai said, to Dani and Rory's laughter.

"She sounds obnoxious." Rory remarked.

"Trust me." Jess spoke up.

"Jess doesn't like her very much. He had an unfortunate incident where she tried to seduce him." Dani tried to keep a straight face and failed miserably.

"It was disgusting." Jess shuddered.

"Poor baby." Dani patted his shoulder. "You'll get over it." He slapped her hand away, eliciting a yelp. "Mean!" She gasped, cradling her hand.

"'You'll get over it.'" He mimicked.

"We're here!" Lorelai sang out, pulling into the parking lot.

"Yay!" Dani bounded out of the car, stopping suddenly. "Emi, Sa, Beks!" She shrieked, running into the waiting arms of her three best friends.

"We missed you girl!" Emily said, hugging her tightly.

"Let's go play!" Sara cried. The four girls led the way into the building, laughing and chatting.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm SO sorry this has taken so long! I've had writer's block and my AMAZING beta has helped me, so here this is! I will have the next chapter up ASAP. **

**Please review! They help me update faster. My cat was mauled by a dog and has been in the hospital for a week, hence the writer's block.**

**-Brianne**

* * *

Dani looked out at the crowd, she smiled slightly seeing Jess, Lorelai, and Rory in the crowd. Jess held a video camera. _So that's what he had to go get_, she thought _I'm so going to bust him for it_. "Thanks for coming everyone." She paused as the crowd cheered. "I'm Dani Mariano and we are the Untamed Mares!" She started to strum and began to sing, they had decided to start with 'Whiskey Lullaby." _She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette,  
She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin' to forget,  
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time,  
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind,  
Until the night_" She could hear Emily and Becca doing backup behind her.

"_He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger,  
And finally drank away her memory,  
Life is short but this time it was bigger,  
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees,  
We found him with his face down in the pillow,  
With a note that said I'll love her till I die,  
And when we buried him beneath the willow,  
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby_"

Dani stopped and listened to her best friend. "_The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself,  
For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath,  
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time,  
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind,  
Until the night,_

_She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger,  
And finally drank away his memory,  
Life is short but this time it was bigger,  
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees,  
We found her with her face down in the pillow,  
Clinging to his picture for dear life,  
We laid her next to him beneath the willow,  
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby_." Emily sang, hitting every note perfectly, as usual.

The two ended the song together. "La, la, la, la, la…" They sang softly.

As the song ended, the crowd cheered. Dani smiled and started a new song. "_I'm so close to you baby,  
But I'm so far away,  
There's a silence between us,  
And there's so much to say,  
You're my strength, you're my weakness,  
You're my faith, you're my doubt,  
We got to meet in the middle,  
To work this thing out_"

After that song ended, they played 'Rush', 'Not Ready to Make Nice', 'Goodbye to You', 'Breathe', 'Redneck Woman', 'Traveling Solider', and 'Walking on Sunshine'. The crowd cheered, louder than before.

"Thank you all for coming." Dani felt like her face would break in two, she was smiling so broadly. As the band was putting up their instruments, Jess came up and hugged her.

"You were awesome, Kris." He said quietly. As they separated, Dani started to tease him about the video camera, than put her hand to her mouth and rushing to the bathroom, knowing she was going to be sick.

Lorelai entered behind her. "The show's over, no more need to be nervous." She kidded.

Dani smiled weakly. "Tell that to my stomach." She said, not really feeling like laughing. She threw up again, grateful to have Lorelai.

"Have you been okay? You've been looking incredibly pale." Lorelai asked as Dani sat up. "Ever since, you know."

Dani nodded. "Yeah, I've been okay." She rinsed her mouth and led the way out of the bathroom. "Let's go meet the crowd."

"Whee." Lorelai said sarcastically. Dani grinned and stuck her tongue out at the woman behind her.

"You don't have to." She pointed out. "_I'll_ meet them all, and _I'll_ be the one with all the adoring fans and cute guys."

"Wait." Lorelai hurried after her. "I changed my mind." As Dani laughed and walked faster, Lorelai started to laugh and started to chase her down the hallway. Dani turned the corner and slammed into Jess.

"I'm sorry." Dani held his arm steadying herself, the room was spinning.

"You alright?" Lorelai came up behind her.

Dani blinked trying to clear her head, no such luck. "Yeah." She lied, getting even more dizzy.

"You sure?" Jess asked, visibly concerned.

Dani smiled weakly and attempted her former strut. "Let's go meet the crowd." She walked away, a bit unsteadily. Jess and Lorelai watched her go.

"That was so freaking awesome." Dani collapsed against the seat. "Now that my adrenaline is gone, I feel like crap."

"Join the club." Rory slid into the seat beside her, leaning her head on Dani's shoulder.

"What time is it?" Jess spoke up from the front seat.

Dani checked her watch. "Ten thirty."

"I should not be tired." Rory decided, thinking about making an effort to sit up.

"It was all that cheering for me." Dani grinned, poking Rory's side slightly, causing the older girl to groan and slap her hand away.

"Someone needs their ego deflated." Jess spoke up, smiling slightly.

"Mean." Lorelai gasped, starting the car. Dani leaned her head onto Rory's shoulder and let the rocking of the car lull her to sleep.

* * *

Dani woke up the next morning in her bed, sunlight pouring over her. She jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom feeling sick again. "Kris?" Jess called, entering the apartment.

"In here." Dani called weakly.

"You alright?" Jess entered the bathroom, kneeling beside her and holding back her hair.

Dani nodded. "Yeah, I just have a little bug or something."

"Whatever you say, sis." Jess helped her stand up. "You feel like eating?"

Dani nodded and shoved him out of the apartment before she pulled on some clothes and headed downstairs. _Thank God today is Saturday_, she thought with a smile. "Good morning." She entered the diner to the usual rush of the morning.

Lorelai entered with Rory in tow demanding coffee. "Hey Dani." Dani waved from across the diner, where she was taking an order. "She was out like a light last night." Lorelai informed Luke.

"I heard." Luke barely glanced up from the toaster he was repairing, or trying to at least.

"Today's the basket auction." Lorelai turned to Dani who had come behind the counter. "Are you entering?"

"Yeah." Dani smiled at the two. "I'm entering and then begging Jess to buy my basket because Kirk or someone that I don't like will be bidding."

"Sounds like you have your day all planned out." Rory remarked.

"Duh!" Dani playfully exclaimed.

"Oooh, the bidding's starting!" Lorelai craned her neck trying to look out the window.

"You're going to be hurt if you keep doing that." Dani told her firmly.

"Let's go." Rory and Dani led the way out of the diner.

"It looks pretty." Lorelai squealed, looking at the gazebo filled with baskets.

"Sold for fifteen dollars to the man in the yellow. Thank you very much. Now the next basket I have here is a lovely green wicker number that would be a charming addition to any room once the lunch is gone. Let's start the bidding at five dollars. Do I hear five?" Taylor announced to the crowd.

"Oh, that's Lane's." Rory recognized the basket first.

"Five dollars." Lane's cousin was the first bid.

After Lane's basket was sold to her cousin, Rory's basket came up next.

"But remember people – good things come in small packages." Taylor said pompously.

"How badly does he want to be hosting a game show?" Lorelai asked.

"He can taste it." Dani agreed.

"Let's start the bidding at three dollars." Taylor said, looking over the crowd.

"Hey!" Rory cried.

"Five dollars." Dean immediately took the bait.

"He's good. He's very good." Lorelai commented.

"Ten dollars." Jess upped the bid.

"Oh no he didn't." Dani was furious, she stalked over to her brother.

"Twenty." Jess ignored Dani.

"Thirty." Dean glared at Jess and Dani.

"Okay, see, you boys don't seem to understand the way this thing works." Taylor looked at Dean and Jess.

"Forty dollars." Jess challenged Dean.

"Fifty dollars." Dean returned the bid.

Taylor made some comment about Rory's basket being tiny that had no affect whatsoever on the two boys.

"Seventy-five." Jess was glaring at Dean and Dani, daring them to take him on.

"You idiot!" Dani hissed, grabbing his arm. "You do not have seventy-five dollars to spend on a basket."

"Now we're not talking cents gentlemen, we're talking dollars remember." Taylor reminded the teenage boys.

"Eighty." Dean was determined to get the basket.

"Eighty? Eighty dollars?" Taylor asked.

"Ninety." Jess was ignoring his sister's obvious fury.

"Ninety dollars, is that correct?" Taylor confirmed. "Okay, we've got ninety going once, ninety dollars going twice. . . sold to the nice young hoodlum in the back for ninety dollars."

"Jess." Dani followed her brother who was walking up to Rory and Dean. "You were supposed to buy _my_ basket and incase you haven't noticed, that's not mine."

"I gotta tell you, of all the nutty barn raising shindigs this town can cook up, this one wasn't half bad." Jess broke into Rory and Dean's conversation.

"Glad you enjoyed it." Dean snapped.

"Yes I did. So shall we?" Jess turned to Rory.

"Shall we what?" Dean asked.

"Shall we go?" Jess spoke to Rory, totally ignoring her boyfriend.

"Go where?" Dean gave up on asking Jess and turned to Rory.

"Go eat." Jess was getting annoyed with Dean.

That got Dean's attention. "Excuse me?"

"The person who buys the basket wins the company of the person who makes the basket for lunch. Basket, basket maker, guy who didn't bring enough money." Jess, all but spelled it out for this guy.

"You think this is funny." Dean accused.

"Well, it's no Lenny Bruce routine but it has its moments." Jess shrugged.

"Bye Jess." Dean said pointedly.

"Where are you going?" Jess asked .

After several minutes of this, Dani dragged Jess away, leaving Dean and Rory to argue in peace. "You idiot!" Dani pulled herself up to her full height of 5' 5". "You were supposed to buy my basket, now Kirk is going to buy it. You were supposed to bail me out here!"

"Nope." Jess corrected her mid-rant.

"What?" Dani paused her rant.

"Kirk just bought Sookie's basket." Jess pointed out.

"Well then pick another stupid person, there are two hundred and fifty to chose from." Dani gestured to the crowd.

Rory showed up at Jess's elbow. "Let's go." She snapped, walking away. Jess smirked at Dani and then walked away.

Dani groaned and whirled around to where Lorelai's basket was being auctioned off. Lorelai had apparently roped Luke into buying her basket.

"Okay, you're not getting the whole saving me here thing, are you?" Lorelai was demanding of Luke when Dani had appeared at their side.

"Fine. Forty-eight." Luke amended.

"Forty-eight fifty." Some guy Dani didn't know, put in a bid.

"Forty-nine." Luke upped his bid.

"Forty-nine fifty." Another guy she didn't know bid.

"Uh, fifty-two fifty." Luke rifled through his wallet, quickly counting his money.

"What? We're just supposed to go to fifty." The first guy complained.

"I have a life." Luke responded.

"Fifty-two fifty going once!" Lorelai cried desperately.

"Hey, hey, that's my job! Fifty-two fifty going once, fifty-two fifty going twice . . ." Taylor started counting down.

"Oh, please God." Lorelai begged.

"Sold for fifty-two fifty." Taylor banged his gavel, motioning for Dani's basket to be brought up.

Lorelai started to turn away to follow Luke before Dani caught her arm, silently begging her to stay.

"Start the bidding at five dollars." Taylor spoke to the crowd.

"Five dollars." Dean, Rory's boyfriend, bid first. All Dani and Lorelai could do was gape.

"Ten dollars." Andrew bid next.

"Fifteen." Dean glared at Andrew, letting him know he was not backing down.

"Going once, going twice, sold for fifteen to the nice boy from the grocery store!" Taylor cried joyfully. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the basket bidding for today. Victors come claim your prizes and your dates. Let the lunching begin!


	10. Chapter 9

"Where do you wanna eat?" Jess led the way onto his bridge.

"Don't care." Rory sounded bored.

"Okay." Jess sat down on the bridge.

"Where are you going?" Rory stared at him oddly.

"Thought you didn't care." Jess pointed out.

"I'm _not_ jumping in the lake." Rory said, obviously wary.

"No underwater dining, got it." Jess opened the picnic basket.

"So why did you pick this place?" Rory asked, loosening up just a little bit.

"I actually kinda like this place." Jess admitted.

"Wow. A place in Stars Hollow you actually like. I'm stunned." Rory teased.

"It's got some good memories. You see right over there?" Jess pointed to a spot on the bridge.

"Yup." Rory glanced at him.

Jess almost smiled. "That's where Luke pushed me in."

Rory smirked at him, stealing his line. "Huh." She paused, pondering slightly. "It wasn't funny."

Jess looked confused. "What?"

"Outbidding Dean like that, it wasn't funny." She repeated.

Jess actually apologized. "I'm sorry about that. You wanna push me in the lake? It's cathartic, I hear."

Rory sighed and tried to start a conversation. "I hardly know anything about you. What's your life history?"

"My mother's a flake, I've had four step-dads, I have an annoying little sister, no pets."

"Jess." Rory groaned. "Fine, how old were you when Dani was born?"

"Two." Jess grimaced. "That was that first time I stayed at home by myself."

"Two?" Rory shrieked. Realizing how loud she had been, she blushed. "Sorry."

"It was actually two and a half." Jess's hazel gaze sparkled with mischief, reminding Rory of Dani.

"Cruel." Rory said with a glare that would have made her mother proud.

* * *

Dani stormed after Dean. "I'm not eating lunch with my friend's boyfriend!" She informed him.

"I bought the basket." He held up her basket.

Dani rolled her eyes. "I'd rather have had Kirk." She hissed, loud enough for him to hear.

"What?" He was confused.

She softened slightly having let out most of her anger on Jess. "Inside joke, sorry."

"It's alright. Where do you want to eat?"

"Can we eat in the square?" Dani asked quietly, feeling bad for snapping at him, her head was also starting to hurt. Badly.

"Sure." He plopped down in the grass, opening the basket. She followed him more slowly, afraid of making herself more dizzy.

"Why did you pick me?" She asked, almost scared of the answer.

He sighed and picked at the food. "I wanted to make Rory jealous."

Dani snickered, not unkindly. "Dean, please don't play me like this. Rory and Lane are the only friends I have her, besides Kirk, but he so doesn't count." That got a faint chuckle from the boy.

"I'm sorry." The apology was faint, but understandable.

Dani shuddered, now she had to hug him or touch him or something. She settled for waiting for him to come to her. Rory's boyfriend scared her slightly.

* * *

"Ten." Rory admitted.

"Ten?" Jess asked in amazement.

Rory smiled. "Yeah but I didn't understand a word of it, so I had to reread it when I was fifteen."

Jess frowned. "I've yet to make it through it."

"Really? Try it. The Fountainhead is classic." Rory advised.

"Yeah, but Ayn Rand is a political nut." Jess responded.

"Yeah, but nobody could write a forty page monologue the way that she could." Rory countered.

"Okay, tomorrow I will try again, and you will. . ." Jess prodded.

"Give the painful Ernest Hemingway another chance. Yes, I promise." Rory rolled her eyes.

"You know, Ernest only has lovely things to say about you." Jess teased.

"Why are you only nice to me?" Rory asked abruptly.

"Excuse me?" Jess thought he had misheard her.

Dani came running across the bridge. "Jess William Mariano!"

"Uh-oh." Jess leapt to his feet, ready for a stand-off.

"You are so dead!" Dani stopped in front of her brother. "You abandoned me!"

"Abandoned you?" Jess asked sarcastically. "I hardly think I abandoned you."

"Then what do you call just leaving me!" Dani asked hysterically.

"Kris." Jess tried to reason. "You're approaching hysterics."

"Who the hell cares?" Dani shrieked. "Certainly not you, if _you_ had cared, I wouldn't have walked away from the worst lunch of my life with Rory's boyfriend!" Rory gasped at hearing that Dean had won Dani's basket. Dani then turned to leave.

Jess caught her arm, stopping her from leaving. "Kris."

"Don't you dare call me Kris." She hissed, her light blue eyes darkening with anger. "It's Danielle, or better yet, don't talk at all." She whirled around, yanking her arm out of his grip. On second thought she turned and pushed him in the lake, then stomped off without a backwards glance.

When Jess surfaced he looked at Rory, repeating his earlier sentence. "You wanna push me in the lake? It's cathartic, I hear"

* * *

A week later, Rory opened their front door to show Dani, jacket around her shoulders, eyes red from crying, standing on their front porch. "Dani?" Rory asked cautiously, inviting the younger girl in.

"He listened." Dani said quietly. "He won't talk to me at all."

Rory led her into the living room. "Really?"

"Yeah, this is not the first bad blowup we've had in a while. We had one in New York the day before we left." Dani confided.

"What was that one about?" Rory asked, prying just a little bit.

"I had kissed his best friend and he found us." Dani said simply. "And I told him he was crazy when he suggested Paul had ulterior motives."

"Sounds like you've just hit a rocky patch." Lorelai said from the doorway.

Dani looked up. "Yeah. He's been so awesome. I've been getting really sick the last couple of months. Of course, Liz didn't care, so when I was running fevers and throwing up, he was always there. Always. And now, I've just totally pushed him away."

"You've been getting sick a lot?" Lorelai asked, sitting on the chair across from Dani.

"Yeah, nothing too big, just some colds, a streak of really bad fevers, mainly at night." Dani played with the blanket on the couch.

"Huh." Lorelai stored this information in the back of her brain for later use.

"I'll be right back." Rory stood up and went to her room, grabbing the phone on her way.

"Hello?" Jess sounded annoyed.

Rory was suddenly tongue-tied. "Hi."

Jess's tone softened, recognizing her voice. "Hi."

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Nothing, you?"

Rory curled up on her bed. "Nothing."

"Why'd you call?" Jess asked abruptly.

Rory panicked. "I... um, I wanted to..."

"I'm glad you called."

Rory blushed, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because maybe you can explain what the hell this crazy woman is talking about."

"Ah, The Fountainhead." Rory smiled, no more shyness now.

"Yes. Your fault, and you will pay." Jess teased.

"I promise. Commit to it one more time and if it still is awful for you, I will make it up to you."

"Oh yeah?" He sounded interested.

"Yeah." She said shyly.

"Okay. I'm gonna hold you to that." He said softly.

Dani knocked on Rory's open door, "Hey."

"Was that Dani?" Jess asked, hearing his sister.

"Um, I have to go." Rory hung up abruptly. "Hey."

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting?" Dani froze, turning and rushing toward the bathroom.

Lorelai entered behind her. "You done puking you-" She broke off mid-sentence as she saw the blood. "Dani, get up." She pulled the girl to her feet, feeling her forehead on the way. The teen was burning up. "Rory!" She called, grabbing her purse. "Call Luke, we're going to the Emergency Room!"


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Tenth chapter, oh yeah!! I know it has been forever and I am so sorry! Many thanks to my beta, Melody, she handed me a rope out of the pit that is writer's block. I also have been re-reading Hemingway's 'Old Man and the Sea', that helped the update take longer. Anyway, it's here now and although I know it is a shorter chapter than I usually do, Mel and I agreed it was a good place to stop.**

**I crave your reviews! I won't update without at least seven reviews! I can't wait to hear what you think! **

**Brianne**

* * *

_Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my awesome reviews, without whom this story would not have been the story it is today._

* * *

Rory ran out of the house, two steps behind her mother, who was supporting Dani. "Mom, what happened?" She finally caught up with her.

"Give me the phone!" Lorelai snapped, genuinely concerned for the young girl. She dialed Luke's number having learned it by heart years ago. "Luke!" She screamed in frustration, when she got his answering machine. She turned to Rory, frantic with fright. "Rory. I need you to go to Luke's and tell him that Dani is coughing up blood and I'm taking her to Hartford Medical ER. Catch a ride with Luke and Jess. Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she kissed her daughter swiftly and after helping Dani into the car, she drove off, probably breaking every traffic law in Stars Hollow.

Rory began to run to Luke's, the wind going right through her clothes. She reached Luke's and found it locked, groaning in annoyance she found the spare key. Unlocking the door she went inside. "Luke? Jess?" She called, knowing the diner was empty she went upstairs and found the door closed and locked. She banged on it loudly. "Open the freaking door!" She banged harder.

Jess pulled the door open, hair mussed from sleep. "What the-" Jess broke off noticing Rory's disheveled appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Dani's in the emergency room." Rory explained. "She was coughing up blood and Mom took her, I need a ride with you guys." Luke came out pulling on a jacket and Jess stumbled out behind him, looking terrified.

Rory hurried after the two men, sliding into the truck, between Jess and Luke. "Which hospital?" Luke asked tersely.

"Hartford Medical." Rory replied, watching Jess float into his own little world. "You alright?" She asked Jess gently, he didn't respond. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes and wondered what could possibly be happening as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

_Dani was leaning against the sheets, her face as white as the bedclothes. Jess was leaning against the bed rail, holding her hand and sobbing quietly._

"_There's nothing we could have done for her." The doctor entered, instead of arms, he had long tentacles. He poked Dani she lay motionless. "I'm sorry, she's dead." His frown became Jess's smirk the smirk turned into a laugh, so evil Rory couldn't stand it. _

"_How dare you!" She shrieked, launching herself at him staring as his teeth grew longer and more pointed. He lowered his fangs to her neck, preparing to draw blood. Jess stopped crying and threw himself at the doctor. _

"_Don't touch her!" He yelled. _

_The monster looked at him. "Why?" His face twisted, turning into Lorelai's. "If you love her, well, suck it up, she has Dean and will never leave him for _you_. You are nothing, worthless!" _

"_He's not worthless." Rory screamed, holding onto Jess. "He's everything! Dean is nothing!" She looked at Jess, and taking a deep breath, she kissed him._

* * *

"Rory." Someone was shaking her. Jess. "Rory wake up, we're here." Rory opened her eyes from her dream and shuddered. She had kissed Jess, granted, it was in her dream, but it was close enough. When she realized what she had thought, she mentally slapped herself. She had a loving, faithful boyfriend, she hoped.They were parked in a dim parking deck outside the hospital. She unbuckled her seat belt and followed the two men into the hospital her thoughts clouded. Lorelai was sitting in the waiting room, without Dani wringing her hands, a stack of paperwork beside her. She rushed over to them, when they walked in the door.

"Where's Dani?" Jess asked instantly.

"They just took her back to run some tests. She passed out on the way here, so they accepted her immediately." Lorelai said, leading them to a batch of seats she had staked out. Jess sat down numbly, not noticing when Rory timidly took his hand. Lorelai and Luke however, did. "Jess." Lorelai said softly.

He snapped back to Earth, looking unhappy at the sudden swap of worlds. "What?"

"I need you to do this paperwork, I don't know the answers." Lorelai tried to hand him the stack, he refused, knowing he was too shaken up to write.

"I'll tell you the answers." Jess said firmly.

Sensing his tone, Lorelai gave up. "Full name."

"Kristin Danielle Mariano." Every word was painful.

"Birthday."

"November 17, 1987." He answered numbly.

"Parents."

"Elizabeth Danes and James Mariano."

* * *

Three hours later a doctor walked into the waiting room. "Kristin Mariano!" He called.

Jess and Luke walked over to him. "You have news?" Jess asked coolly, wary of the doctor.

"I'm Doctor Shelt. I'm the one on call here, and am overseeing Kristin."

"How is she?" Luke cut in, not caring about his name or what he was doing.

"She's sleeping right now. We've run about six tests on her, including a bone marrow biopsy, so she'll be a little sore for the next couple of days. Her spleen and liver are also pretty swollen, so we are keeping an eye on that. I also need to point out that on your paperwork you missed a question. We would also like to keep her overnight so we can keep an eye on her progress." Doctor Shelt said, handing them the file.

"Which question?" Jess scanned the page quickly, finding the blank answer. '_Has/Had/Does anyone in your family have a history of cancer or leukemia?' _ He scribbled done the answer after confirming it with Luke. Doctor Shelt glanced at the answer. _'Maternal grandparents and great-grandfather' _

"What is a bone marrow biopsy?" Lorelai asked, having come up behind them.

"It is where we take a very thick needle and insert it into the hip bone or some other large bone and remove a sample. We will then examine under a microscope." Doctor Shelt explained.

"You said she'd be sore." Lorelai broke in, glancing at Jess. "How sore are we talking? Unable to move sore, or slight pain?"

"Unable to move sore." Dr Shelt said frankly.

"When can we see her?" Jess interrupted.

"Well, she's asleep right now, but you can see her whenever you want. Room 413." Dr Shelt had barely finished before Jess was out of the room.

* * *

Lorelai turned back to the doctor. "What do you think this illness is? Judging by her symptoms."

"I really have no idea." Dr Shelt confessed. "It could be as simple as a stomach bug or as serious as cancer."

"Cancer?" Luke broke in for the first time in several minutes.

"Yes," Dr Shelt's pager started to buzz. "I have to go. I'm sorry."

Lorelai lead Luke back to the chairs. "Luke, I'm sure it's not cancer."

"How do you know?" He snapped, suddenly furious. "What if it is?"

"Then it is." Rory said gently, on the other side of Luke.

"But I can't take care of someone who has cancer." Lorelai wrapped her arm around his shoulders, mouthing to Rory. _'I got it_'. Rory nodded and stood up to leave. "I can barely take care of myself and Jess!" Luke started to panic.

"You'll do fine." Lorelai comforted. "No matter what she has."

"You don't understand." Luke laughed dryly. "In high school, after Mom died, I couldn't manage to do the simple task of keeping Liz out of trouble when I wasn't under the bleachers making out with Crazy Carrie!"

"You will do fine." Lorelai held him closer. "I'm always here." She reminded him. "I'm always here."

* * *

Jess found the room quickly. Opening the door, he slipped inside. Dani was lying on her back in bed, her skin as white as the sheets. She was breathing with the help of an oxygen machine and an IV was in her arm. There was another machine monitoring her heartbeat. Jess sat down next to her on the bed. He held her hand and brushed the hair away from her forehead. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, afraid he was going to wake her. "I know I shouldn't have ignored you. I was trying to teach you a lesson, I suppose. When you wake up we'll try to convince Rory that Hemingway is not painful." Her hand twitched in his. Jess sighed, pulling out 'The Old Man and the Sea' from his back pocket. Opening it, he began to read. "'The old man looked at him with sunburned, confident loving eyes. 'If you were my boy, I'd take you out and gamble.' He said.'" Jess was unaware of Rory watching from the doorway, tears in her eyes. 


	12. Chapter 11

_The next day- 1ish…  
_

"I think I'm in love with Jess." Rory admitted to Dani, sitting by her bed, watching the machines beep. "I've been having dreams." She paused, searching for the right way to phrase it. "Dreams about him." She said simply. "I don't know what to do. I really did," she caught herself. "Do love Dean, just not like that. Not anymore." Tears choked her voice as she allowed them to fall softly onto Dani's bed.

Jess entered the room; unaware on what he had walked in on, not knowing that now was the worst possible time. "Hey. She awake yet?" He said softly.

Rory wiped her eyes before he could see. "Not yet."

Jess walked over to stand beside her. "God, I've been a horrible brother." He eyed her skeptically noticing her red rimmed eyes, finally deciding that she was as concerned for Dani like he was.

"No you haven't." Rory consoled.

"Ignoring her for a week? No good person does that." Jess's voice hardened. "Which is what our mother should have learned years ago."

"Jess." Rory tried to interrupt, but Jess was on a roll.

"Do you know how it feels to be lying in a hospital bed with your sister by your side, knowing your mother is out partying totally wasted? When your little sister is just seven and your mother comes home, stumbling through the door, giggling like a teenager and dragged a half-naked guy behind her? The next morning when your sister wakes up and asks you, why Mom and a stranger were screaming at each other in Mom's room last night?" Jess crossed to the window and stared out. "After that, I never wanted to see a hospital again." He admitted quietly, more to himself than Rory.

Rory moved to stand beside him, hesitantly putting her arm around his shoulders. "After what?" Rory asked, meeting his gaze when he turned to look at her.

"When I got shot." Jess said, smirk in place.

"You were shot?" Rory gasped. "How old were you?"

"I was fifteen. I had slipped into a bar and some drunken guy went wild with a gun, I was one of the lucky people who was hit. I got a pretty scar to prove it as well." He smiled sarcastically.

"Wow." Rory shifted her gaze to the window, a minute later, she whirled around when she heard Dani whimper. "Dani?"

Jess beat her to the bed. "Hey Kris."

Dani managed a weak smile. "Hi." She tried to move and almost screamed in pain.

"What happened?" Rory asked.

"My hip." Dani gasped, blinking away tears.

"They did a bone marrow test." Jess clarified.

"That explains a lot." Dani wiped her eyes and lay back on her pillows. "So….anyone want to tell me where the crap I am?"

"The hospital." Jess offered sarcastically.

Dani glared at him. "Lot of help, Jess."

Rory laughed, glad Dani was able to make jokes. "Hartford Medical."

"Anything else I should know?" Dani asked.

"They ran a pregnancy test and it was negative." Rory offered, having found this out from Dr Shelt.

"Good." Dani closed her eyes, obviously exhausted.

"I'll leave you two alone." Rory quickly excused herself, seeing the duo had something to work out.

"So…" Jess sat on her bed. "How do you feel?"

Dani dropped her friendly demeanor and snapped. "How the hell do you think I feel?"

"Ooh. Cuss words from Danielle. Not good." Jess retaliated quickly.

Dani glared at him, before crossing her arms and staring anywhere but him. "And I have left her speechless." Jess baited her.

"Someday, Jess Mariano, you will learn that your actions have consequences, and for your sake, I hope that day comes soon." Dani told him seriously. When he didn't say anything she took the opportunity to mimic him. "'And I have left him speechless.'" She mocked.

Jess sent a dark glare her way. "Thanks for lecture, Liz." He left her with the wound he had just carved stinging sharply. Dani glared at Jess's retreating back and willed her tears not to come as the door to her room swung open revealing Lorelai and Luke.

* * *

When Dr Shelt entered the room, six hours later, all five people looked up from what they were doing, Dani, Rory, and Lorelai were playing Spite and Malice with some cards they had begged Luke to go get. The two men were observing from the hard plastic chairs against the wall. "So how do you feel, Kristin?" He asked as he checked her monitors.

"Like I'm in a hospital." Dani teased. "And it's Dani."

"More specifically please, Dani." Dr Shelt dug deeper, as he smiled at her sarcasm.

"All my joints really hurt, I'm exhausted, my head hurts, and my entire left side hurts." Dani gave in,realizing that she would eventually have to give in to be allowed to be released.

"I see." The doctor pondered this information for a minute. "I'm sorry to be the person to give you this," He paused, looking for the right word. "Analysis. But, the test results came back this morning and they diagnosed you with." Dr Shelt took a deep breath, hating to give this kind of news. "Stage M3, acute myeloid leukemia." After giving them some more information, he excused himself quickly, leaving the stunned group behind.

"I do not have leukemia!" Dani yelled at the closing door. She got out of bed, intending to prove it to them all she was fine. Halfway between the door and her bed, her knees gave out and she collapsed. Jess caught her before she fell and sat down on the floor, holding her in his lap as she struggled against him, hitting him anywhere she could, and ignoring the angry tears that were pouring down her face. The other's just watched her trying to get out of his grip. "Let me go!" Dani screamed at him.

"No." He said quietly, holding her tighter. When she realized he wasn't going to let her go, she caved to her emotions and buried her face in his chest and cried. "It'll be okay." Jess murmured, trying not to cry himself. Luke was still sitting there, staring at the wall, obviously in shock. Lorelai put her arms around Rory and bit her lip forcing the tears back while Rory had already lost the battle with her tear ducts and was silently crying.

"Jess." Dani looked up at him, her eyes red. "I'm sorry, for everything I said."

Jess hugged her. "I know."

Dani looked down, something obviously troubling her. "Am I really like Liz?" She asked, suddenly feeling scared and hoping for Jess's support.

"No." Jess said quietly. "I didn't mean it Dani."

Dani buried her face into his neck, ignoring the tears making their way down her face. "Good." She said, her voice muffled, relieved that she and Jess were ok.

Jess buried his face into her hair, crying silently. His baby sister had cancer. What was he going to do? He had a feeling Dani would hunt him down and kill him if he ran. Again. Would she die? 'Probably', his brain answered logically. She was only fifteen, he wasn't ready to loose her, she had lead such a short life. 'She's not dead yet.' His brain reminded him.

He guided Dani to the bed in case her knees gave out again. "You feel okay?"

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yeah." She looked around the room, just then noticing that Luke had left. "Where's Luke?" Jess gave her a look that said, 'Don't go there'. "Rory!" Dani called. Rory broke away from her mom and went over to the bed.

"Hey." She said softly, not knowing what else to do. Dani simply sat up and gave her a hug.

"Thanks for being here." The younger girl murmured.

Rory held on tighter, afraid that if she let go, Dani would slip away. "I'm always here."

* * *

Dani lay back in bed, the reality of the situation sinking in. Luke, Lorelai, and Rory had gone back to Stars Hollow at Dani's insistence. But, no matter how much she told him to go, Jess would not leave. Luke was coming back the next morning and picking her up, when she was released. Jess entered the room from talking with the doctor. "What did he say?" Dani asked instantly.

Jess looked at her, she could already tell it wouldn't be good by the look in his eyes. "You want the full, uncensored, version?" When Dani nodded, he sighed. "It's cancer, Kris. It's bad every way you look at it." When she glared at him for beating the dead horse, he gave in. "You're possibly going to need a blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant, maybe both, they don't know yet."

"What about chemo?" She asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Anything else?"

"Well, the doctor said that younger people usually respond better to the chemo, so he has high hopes for your recovery. You're at stage 3 out of 7, so we're lucky we caught it this early. The rape also weakened your body, so they want to get started with chemo ASAP, before the leukemia starts to spread."

Dani interrupted him. "Do we know why?"

Jess shook his head. "No, they think that living next to all those bars and clubs that exposed you to all that cigarette smoke might have caused it, but we really don't know."

Dani stared at the wall. "So, really we're just clutching at straws, huh?"

"Yeah." Jess kissed her forehead quickly and turned to go. "Night."

He was closing the door behind him when he heard her voice. "Jess, wait." He turned back. "Stay with me." She pleaded. When he came back in, she scooted over and patted the bed beside her. He climbed in beside her and she buried her face in his chest. "I'm scared, Jess." Her voice was muffled.

"Me too, Dani. Me too."

"What are we going to do?"

He looked down at her. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to be a burden on Luke." Dani confessed. "There is no way we can afford all of this." She indicated all the monitors.

"We'll find a way." Jess said, closing his eyes.

"You're not going to sleep." Dani told him. When he ignored her she poked his arm.

"Quit it, Kris." Jess batted her hand away, still not opening his eyes. She poked him again. "Kris, stop."

"You're no fun." Dani pouted.

"Live with it." He told her.

"I'm tired Jess, please stop keeping me awake." Dani teased, closing her eyes.

Jess wrapped his arms around her and sleep claimed them both.

Dani glanced at the clock. The bright number proclaimed that it was 3 in the morning. She lay there listening to Jess snore and searched her body for something. She wasn't sure what. Some…..feeling that told her the doctors were wrong, she wasn't dying, she didn't have leukemia. She didn't find it. The truth hit her like a ton of bricks. She was dying. And there was nothing she could do about it. Well, there was chemo. But that didn't guarantee a full life, or even a half of one.

It wasn't fair.

**A/N: So what did you guys think? I hope you don't hate me for taking so long! The next chapter is in-progress! And for all the Literati lovers, I promise it is coming!! JavaJunkie too! **

**Please review! Melody(my beta) and I welcome all thoughts, suggestions, and constructive critisim. **

**Love you all!!**

**Brianne **


	13. Chapter 12

Dani buried her face in Jess's chest, listening to her brother snore and hiding from the morning sun. Lorelai and Luke were sitting in chairs in a corner talking softly. She groaned and pulled a pillow toward her, clamping it over her head, muffling their voices. Lorelai came over and gently removed the pillow. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." She teased.

Dani glared at her and smoothed down her hair before giving up and rolled over slowly, avoiding bumping her hip. "Coffee?" She asked groggily.

"Right here." Lorelai handed her a cup from Luke's.

"Thank God for coffee." Dani muttered around the rim, taking a big swallow then looking up at the woman standing beside her and smiled a little grudgingly. "Hi."

Lorelai returned the smile and pulled her chair toward her and took a seat. "Hi. How do you feel?" Sounding much too awake for Dani's taste.

"Like crap." Dani said, wishing everyone would just leave her alone.

"How do you feel?" Jess asked from behind her.

Dani groaned, "Will everyone just leave me alone?" she said loudly, her temper escalating.

"It's not an unreasonable question, Dani." Jess pointed out for once not being sarcastic and his face showing his growing concern.

"All of you need to leave. Now." Dani said, visibly struggling to keep from yelling at them. "Now!" She shouted when they hesitated. "Please." She whispered. This time the three listened and hurried out. When they had left, Dani hugged the pillow to her and fell into her memories.

* * *

"_Lucy, I'm home!" Dani called entering the apartment. _

"_Why are you being so loud?" Liz groaned, from where she was draped over the couch. _

"_Sorry, Mother." Dani whispered with a sarcastically sweet smile and walked out of the room, stomping as loud as she could. Jess had taught her well. Wandering down the hall to her room where the thirteen year old dumped her purse on her bed, then crossed to her brother's room where she knocked lightly while opening the door, to find Jess lying on his bed, reading, of course. "Hey." _

_Jess glanced at her, and then returned to his book. "You really should knock, pause, _then_ come in." _

"_Why?" Dani stared at him, purposely putting a confused look on her face. _

"_Because." Jess set down his book to look at her. _

_Dani took a seat at the end of his bed. "You might be doing something dirty?" _

"_Don't make me laugh." Jess said sarcastically. _

"_Come on! It's not that unrealistic!" Dani told him, trying to hide a smile from his obvious annoyance. _

"_Right. And I should knock on your door, because you're running a meth lab." Jess picked his book back up. _

_"Yeah!" Dani looked at his book. "_Hey, g_ive me that." She snatched the book from his hands. _

"_Hey!" Jess protested, taking it back._

"_It's mine!" Dani sat on his feet, leaning over to take it back. "It was in my bookshelf." She opened it up. "You wrote in it!" She smacked him on the back of the head with it. "It's going back in my bookshelf." Dani glared at him. "And staying there!"_

* * *

Dani smiled at the memory. The two had always fought over whose books were whose. It was their 'thing' as their mother had referred to it, when she had been there and sober. Something Dani had seen very rarely growing up.

* * *

_Dani looked up from her computer when Liz knocked on her door. "Hey honey." _

"_Hi Mom." Dani paused over the last word, wondering what to call the woman standing before her. _

_Liz came in and sat on her neatly-made bed, wrinkling the sheets a little bit. Dani frowned and went back to her computer. "I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping tomorrow or something." She leaned forward, acting like a teenager about to reveal her biggest secret. "We could even get your ears pierced again." _

"_Already been done." Dani sighed, pulling back her hair to show her mother the double earrings she wore. _

"_Oh." Liz sounded disappointed. _

"_I haven't had a third one done yet." Dani said hesitantly, unsure of her mother's intentions. _

_Liz clapped her hands like a little girl on Christmas. "It's a date!" She cheered. _

"_It's a date." Dani repeated, a small knot of excitement growing in her stomach. _

_Dani nearly danced out of her room, the next morning, bumping into Jess in the hallway. "You do know you're almost fifteen and not five, right?" He asked sarcastically. _

"_Yes." Dani told him as she brushed past, grabbing her purse from the table in the hall and heading toward the kitchen. A few minutes later, Liz stumbled in. _

"_Not so loud!" The woman groaned, before pouring herself some coffee and going back to her room. _

_Dani sat down at the table, flinging her purse onto the floor as hard as she could, wiping her eyes to control the tears. "You should have known better." Jess said from the doorway. _

"_Not helping!" Dani snapped, pushing on her eyelids in an effort to keep the tears at bay. _

"_But I am sorry." Jess finished, taking the chair opposite her._

"_No, you're right." Dani admitted. "I should have known better. I mean, I have lived with her for fourteen years." She grew angry. "But that doesn't excuse it!" She marched down the hall and threw open Liz's door. "_You_ should have known better than to drink last night! You had a date with your daughter! Remember me? That's right, your daughter! I never get to see you or talk to you or tell you any of my secrets the way mothers and daughters are supposed too! Do you know who I told when I went on my first date? Jess! Because you were always drunk or wasted and if I told you when you were sober you wouldn't remember!" After unloading her emotional baggage, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her._

* * *

Dani had gone out and gotten her third piercing that day, of course without Liz. She reached up and gently fingered the small topaz birthstone earring that marked the hole. Speaking of holes…..

* * *

"_Come on, Jess!" Dani called through the apartment. "The movie starts in five minutes!"_

_Jess came into the living room pulling on his leather jacket. "Remind me why I'm taking you again?" _

"_Because you love me and want me to be happy?" Dani tried, pushing him out the door. _

"_Wrong." Jess locked the door and put the key in his pocket. _

"_Because it's summer and there's nothing else to do?" _

_The 'conversation' carried on for several minutes until they had paid for their tickets and had found their seats in the air-conditioned theater. "So, what are we watching?" Jess hissed to Dani during the previews._

"'_Holes'." She told him. _

"_Why?" _

"_Because the only other thing playing is 'Chicken Run." She whispered. _

"_Ah." The two watched the commercials for a few minutes until Jess broke the silence with: "Remind me why I'm taking you again?" _

_Dani laughed quietly and smacked his arm.  
_

* * *

Dani carefully rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling trying to collect her thoughts and find some sleep. Instead of the sleep she so desperately craved, she found more memories.

* * *

_"Come on Jess!" Dani whined, pulling him through the pool gates. _

_"I can't believe I'm doing this." He sighed._

_"You'll live." She told him, claiming their chairs. _

_"I'm not swimming." Jess told her flatly. _

_"Well you're not even changed." Dani pointed out. _

_"Like that's ever stopped you." He snorted. _

_"You're right." She smiled happily and walked over to the pool edge, dipping her toes in, testing the temperature. Jess quietly crept up behind her, giving her a light shove to throw her off balance. Dani shrieked as she fell in. "I hate you!" She yelled, surfacing, while trying not to laugh. She allowed him to pull her out of the pool, before hugging him tightly, effectively soaking him. _

_"Dani!" Jess complained, pushing her off. _

_She flashed him a brilliant smile before jumping into the pool, with a huge splash, soaking him. Again._

* * *

Dani grinned at the memory, before sinking into another.

* * *

_"Danielle. Jess!" Their mother's sing-song voice called through the apartment. _

_"You go out there first. She _likes_ you." Dani hissed to Jess from his bedroom. _

_"I don't want to." Jess sighed. _

_"Suck it up." She told him, grinning._

_"You are a cruel, cruel person, Danielle Mariano." Jess told her, backing out of the room, leaving Dani smiling triumphantly. _

_The smile faded as she tried to hear the indistinct conversation in the other room. "I'll go get her." Was all she heard. _

_When she heard footsteps coming down the hall, she shot backward into the room and took a seat on the bed. When Jess appeared in the doorway, she shook her head frantically. "You can't make me go." She told him, looking almost...scared. _

_"Dani, come on." _

_"I'll climb down the fire escape." She threatened. _

_"No." He said firmly. _

_"I don't want to go." She pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth. "I don't want to." She said quietly. _

_"This one actually seems decent." Jess told her._

_"Liar." She caught him._

_"Just." He pulled her to her feet. "Give him a chance, Kris." _

_She put her arm around his shoulders. "You so owe me." When they entered the living room, Liz squealed and pulled Dani in front of the man standing next to her._

_"David, this is my daughter, Dani." Liz made the introductions. "Dani, this is my new boyfriend, David." Dani and Jess shared a look that plainly said, 'Why am I not surprised.' _

_"How old are you?" David asked bending down to Dani's height. __  
_

_"Ten." Dani murmured before giving him a small half-smile and backing over the couch where she immediately curled into Jess's embrace. When the two left the room, she sighed. "Another one." _

_"Yeah." Jess stroked her hair gently, each lost in their own thoughts. _

_"Why can't we have a normal mom?" Dani asked. "One who loves us and takes care of us and plays with us. Why can't we have _one_ daddy? Just one?" _

_"I don't know." Jess admitted. _

_"Why did-" She was cut off._

_"Dani, I don't know!" Jess said loudly. She left his lap quickly and moved to the other end of the couch, a hurt look evident in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Dani. I'm just-" He paused. "Tired." _

_When he turned to look at her, she had crossed to the window and was staring out at the streets of New York. "I know. I'm going over to Emily's." _

_"Dani, it's not safe." Jess protested._

_"I've been doing it for ten years, I think I can do it one more night." Dani snapped. _

_"Dani, please don't go. Not tonight." Jess relaxed as she took her hand off the doorknob. _

_"Why not?" She turned to look at him, her eyes clouded with anger and hurt. _

_"I have a feeling. Just- not tonight. Please Kris?" _

_She walked down the hall. "Okay." She called back quietly, knowing his feeling was probably right._

* * *

That night there had been a suicide on the streets of New York, on the street where Emily lived. Emily's drunk father had committed suicide that night right after severely abusing his wife and children. After that, Dani had learned to trust Jess's feelings.

Jess had always said that he could read her emotions in her eye color. Dark blue, for when she was upset or hurt, green for when she was angry, gray for when she was lying and sky blue for when she was truly happy

He had only seen the sky blue once...

* * *

_"Excuse me?" Liz entered the classroom, not drunk for once. _

_"Mrs. Mariano?" Dani's school principal, Miss Allan, stood and offered Liz the seat beside Dani. _

_"Miss Danes, actually." Liz corrected._

_"Oh, I'm sorry." Miss Allan looked flustered, but then regained her composure. "I wanted to talk to you about Dani's grades."_

_"Why? Is she failing?" Liz asked quickly, sending Dani an accusatory look. _

_"Oh, just the opposite." Miss Allan assured her. "I would like your permission to have Dani skip a grade. Her marks are _

_amazing, well over the average for a 13-year-old."_

_"Wow." Liz stared at Dani, her blue eyes showing amazement. "Um, sure. If it's okay with Dani." _

_Both women looked at her. "Yeah. I'd like that." _

_After filling out the needed paperwork and whatnot, Dani and Liz walked to her car together. "Skipping a grade, huh?" _

_"Yeah." Dani stared ahead, jerking to a stop when Liz grabbed her arm. _

_"I just want you to know, that I'm proud of you." She said simply, before walking to the car where they found Jess. _

_Dani's eyes were sky blue._

* * *

Dani shook her head smirking at the memories that seemed to flood her mind. She was thinking back to the week before she and Jess were sent to live with Luke.

_"Are you sure we should be doing this Jess?" Dani asked guiltily looking around as they were walking toward the fountain in the center of the park that was located just three blocks from their small apartment. _

_Jess mischievously smirked and nodded, "Yep, now come on we are on a limited time frame here!" He said as he walked faster and was whistling an unknown tune. Dani smiled at him and reluctantly followed hiking up her backpack. When they finally arrived they put down their bags and started ripping open packages of Jell-O. They had been buying and stealing the Jell-O for months and hiding it in their rooms, not that Liz would have cared, it just made them feel more evil. They laughed as they started to add the powder to the fountain watching the water turn red. _

_"Hey Kris, hand me that branch will you?" Jess said. Dani went to get the fallen branch from the corner of the park while Jess finished dumping the final box into the fountain. _

_"Here you go!" Dani replied giggling. They quickly mixed the red water as the timer for the fountain came to life. It was cold enough that the Jell-O was already starting to thicken and the spray wasn't working. The only thing you could hear were the small mechanics of the fountain grinding attempting to spray the water into the air. "Come on let's get out of here before we get caught" Dani laughed as she and Jess collected their evidence and ran back home._

* * *

Dani was laughing so hard that she never realized that Jess had slipped back into her room.

"Hey, you seem to be in a better mood. What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing" was her only reply.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked the chapter! I was going to make it longer but decided to split it into a two-parter with all of my incredible ideas. :-) I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! **

**Love ya'll!**

**Brianne**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys! Mel and I typed extra-fast for ya'll. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Mel and I sure did. :-D I have a question for you guys, I'm thinking about ending this soon, so, would you guys like a sequel? I'm betting I know what the answer is going to be, I just want to make sure. But **_**please**_** answer. **

**Please review.**

**Much love,**

**Brianne**

* * *

Dani was laughing so hard that she never realized that Jess had slipped back into her room.

"Hey, you seem to be in a better mood. What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing" was her only reply.

"Liar." Jess said, taking a seat on her bed, shifting only slightly when she kicked him lightly. "Your eyes gave it away, they've turned gray."

She made a face. "Betrayers."

"It's not like you have much choice." He pointed out.

Dani stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie."

"And proud of it." He smiled, a very small smile, granted, but a smile none the less.

"What will Rory and I do with you?" She asked with an evil smile, picking up on his slight blush.

"Um, yeah, about that." Jess shifted uncomfortably.

"Ha-ha!" Dani cheered. "You're squirming."

"I am not." He denied.

"Liar." She teased.

"I am not." Jess defended.

"And apparently incapable of saying anything else." Dani smiled.

"I am not." He said, famous smirk in place.

"You're weird." She announced.

"Thanks a lot." He said sarcastically. "So what where you laughing about?"

"You're not avoiding me forever!" Dani crowed. "So, what's going on with you and Rory?"

"Nothing." Jess looked away, knowing that she could read him like a Jane Austen novel.

"Liar." She meant it this time.

"Alright." Jess caved under the knowing look she shot him. "I like her, like really like."

"I knew it!" Dani clapped her hands like a little kid on Christmas.

"You can't tell her." Jess implored.

"'Course not." Dani waved it off.

"I'm serious, Kris." Jess sounded like he meant it.

"Fine." She slumped against the pillows, arms crossed, pouting, hoping he would give in.

"Now if you can think of a way to set us up, you can tell whomever you want." Jess admitted.

"Ooh, a challenge." Dani's eyes sparkled.

"You have an idea?" Jess looked hopeful.

"Do you have pen and paper?" Dani asked, propping herself up, ready to scheme. When he pulled out a book and pencil, she looked horrified. "I'm not writing your plan to get Rory in a Hemmingway novel, maybe Ayn Rand, but not 'The Sun Also Rises'!" She pulled the book to her chest as if afraid it would fall apart. "It would scar it for life." Grinning, Jess grabbing the pad of paper off her bedside table.

The two siblings put their heads together and began to plan.

* * *

"Jess." Dani poked him. "Jess." Her voice turned into a mocking tone. "Jess, Rory and Dean are here."

Her brother jerked awake. "Where?"

"Stars Hollow." Dani replied with an impish grin.

"I hate you." He muttered, settling back into his place on the foot of her bed.

She made a face. "I love you too."

Luke and Lorelai entered her room, accompanied by Dr. Shelt. "Oh, joy." Dani muttered.

"How are you feeling?" The doctor asked.

"I'm ready to go home." Dani replied, too annoyed to hide her aggravated tone or to drag any hint of politeness into the conversation.

"Good." Luke held up her release forms, trying not to laugh at the thrilled expression spreading across his niece's face.

"When can I leave?" Dani asked, turning to the doctor.

He gestured for a nurse to bring in a wheelchair. "Now." He said simply.

"You're kidding." Dani looked at the wheelchair, obviously horrified.

"Do you really think you can walk?" Dr. Shelt asked.

She grudgingly nodded, knowing that she could take about one step. "I'm in my hospital gown." She pointed out. "How the heck am I supposed to get dressed?"

"Nancy will help you." The doctor ignored Dani as the teen grumbled under her breath.

"I'll dress myself, thank you very much." Dani proclaimed as Jess helped her out of bed.

"You and what army?" Jess asked, wincing as her elbow drove into his ribs.

"I'll figure out a way." Dani told him, leaning on him heavily, her hip hurting her more than she cared to admit.

"Do you want me to help you?" Lorelai asked, receiving her answer when Dani nodded wordlessly, obviously fighting tears of pain.

Ten minutes later, Dani exited the bathroom, leaning on Lorelai, dressed in jeans and a baby blue halter top, her hair neatly pulled back into a braid, revealing two gold hoops in one ear and three in the other.

"Now can I please go?" She asked hopefully.

"Your chariot awaits." Dr Shelt gestured to the wheelchair, smiling slightly as the others groaned at his bad pun. Dani settled herself into the chair, swearing under her breath.

"I feel like an invalid." Dani announced.

"Well, honey, you kind of are." Lorelai teased.

"Will I have to use this at the house?" Dani asked, switching tactics.

"No." Dr Shelt answered.

"Thank God." Dani muttered, as the nurse wheeled her to Luke's truck.

* * *

"Dean?" Rory entered Doose's Market, looking for her boyfriend.

"There you are!" Dean greeted her with a kiss. "Where have you been? You look horrible."

"I've been at the hospital." Rory rubbed her eyes, she hadn't gotten much sleep that night.

"The hospital? Is Lorelai okay?" Dean seemed truly concerned.

"Um, yeah. I was with Dani Mariano." Rory explained, bracing herself for his explosion.

"So you were with Jess." Dani sounded ticked, not that she could blame him.

"We were there with Mom and Luke."

"With Jess." Dean sounded accusatory.

"And Mom and Luke." Rory started to get frustrated.

"And Jess." Dean repeated.

"Yes, Dean. With Jess!" Rory threw her hands up in the air and walked out of the market, Dean following here.

"How long?" Dean sounded resigned.

"How long what?" Rory snapped, fed up with him.

"How long have you been in love with him?" Dean asked, turning to stare at her reflection in the glass, rather than look at her.

"I'm- I'm-" She couldn't bring herself to say it. To lie and tell him that she was truly in love with him. That she had no feelings at all for Jess Mariano.

"It's over, Rory." He turned to look at her, the hurt showing plainly.

As he turned to walk in the store, she called after him. "Dean." When he paused, she continued. "I really did love you."

"Whatever, Lorelai." It was that simple sentence, that hurt her most of all. He couldn't even bring himself to call her by her nickname, instead talking to her if he had never met her. As if he hated her.

She fought back tears as she walked toward the bridge, hoping she'd find him there.

* * *

Jess sat on the bridge, a notebook in his hands. He was surprisingly nervous, the plan scared him, he had to admit.

"Jess?" Rory said as she slowly walked onto the bridge, her eyes red, obviously from crying.

He quickly stood and wordlessly wrapped her in a hug, dropping his notebook, not really caring about it or it's contents because now was not the time for the plan. She had been there for him, it was his turn to be there for her. He held her as she started to sob. "We broke up." She managed through her tears.

_Yes, _whispered an evil little voice in Jess's head. _Bagboy's out of the way, make your move, Mariano_. Jess mentally smacked himself, he couldn't do that.

"Jess?" Rory looked up at him, wiping the tears away. He hadn't realized he had let her go. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." He replied, smiling slightly.

"Good." She moved closer, taking his hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. She smiled sadly. "I'm glad." They sat in an awkward silence for a minute before Jess couldn't take it any more. "Why did you break up?" He knew he was treading on very dangerous territory.

She winced, but didn't drop his hands, instead she gently ran her thumbs over his knuckles.

"He accused me of being in love with you." She stepped closer. "He was right." She whispered, right before she kissed him.

_Screw the plan_, was Jess's only thought as he wrapped his arms around her.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Well, here is a new chapter, once again, I am SO sorry that it took so long to get up. And for those of you who were worried, I'll end this story around Chapter 25. I just don't want a 100 chapter story. **

**Please review!**

**Bri**

* * *

Three weeks later, Dani limped through the diner, just after the dinner rush. "Dani, honey, what's wrong?" Miss Patty cornered her while she was refilling coffees.

Dani forced a smile, "I'm fine, Miss Patty. Honest."

"Good, sweetie." Miss Patty immediately turned to gossip with Babbette. Dani sighed and slowly made her way behind the counter and set down the coffee pot. She glanced around the diner and found it was in a lull, she turned and made her way upstairs, to quickly grab her guitar and practice.

She bumped into Jess at the top of the stairs. "I'm on my way down for my tutoring with Rory." He said, before she had a chance to say anything.

"Try to actually study." Dani teased.

"You mean I'm not capable of actually working?" He retorted and pushed past her.

She stared after him in disbelief. He had been like that since she had been diagnosed. Not that he hadn't been annoyingly sarcastic before, this was just weird. Shrugging it off, she entered the apartment. Crossing to the couch, she grabbed her guitar and started playing from memory.

"_You said the way my blue eyes shine put those Georgia stars to shame that night. I said that's a lie." _After she finished the song she set the guitar down and fell into her thoughts. The doctors were figuring a treatment plan and she had not yet heard back from them or had gone back.

She pulled out her homework, knowing it needed to be done. Several hours flew by, only interrupted by the phone ringing. She limped to get it. "Hello?"

"Kristin Mariano, please?" A woman's voice asked.

"This is she." Dani leaned against a wall,

"This is Dr Amelia Warren from Hartford Medical."

"Dr Warren, good to hear from you."

"You too. I have your treatment plan ready, I'll be your doctor for this part of the treatment."

Dani's stomach plummeted. "Excellent." She hoped she didn't sound too awkward.

"I'd like to have you and your uncle come down sometime and review it with me."

Dani cleared her thought, in an effort to not to croak out her answer. "I'll try to work something out." Dani's thoughts quickly going to the worst case scenario.

"I'll be here for the rest of the week, so just come over when you get a chance."

'I'll will." Dani promised. "Thanks, Kristin."

Dani hung up the phone, feeling faint. Jess came up and noticed her white face. "You alright?" She nodded silently, unable to speak. He came over and put an arm around her.

"I'm fine." She choked out and pushed past him, grabbing her jacket and guitar. She ran downstairs, ignoring the stabbing pain in her leg, making her way to the bridge.

* * *

"Dani, talk to me." Jess walked onto the bridge as she shifted her guitar into place.

She ignored him and began to sing. "_But when you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song, the one we danced to all night long_."

"Dani, stop ignoring me." Jess sat next to her.

"_I hope you think that little black dress, think of my head on your chest, and my old faded blue jeans_"

Jess groaned and slammed his head onto the bridge. "Danielle!"

"_September saw a month of tears, and thanking God that you weren't here, to see me like that_."

"Open up to me!" Jess yelled.

Dani shot to her feet, guitar in hand. "Jess, I swear!"

"What did I do?" Jess ran his hands through his hair.

"You didn't do anything!" Dani replied, her eyes darkening to a deep green, not a good sign.

Jess shouted angrily, "Then what's with the cold shoulder?"

"What's with the 'tude?" Dani retorted.

"What's with-" Jess cut himself off and turned away from her. "Dani, what's wrong?"

"They have my treatment plan ready." She said quietly.

"What?" Jess exclaimed somewhat excited that they would be working on her cure.

"I have a new doctor, they want to talk to me and Luke, and I'm dying, Jess!" She shouted.

He crossed to and shook her slightly. "Don't you dare say that! You're not dying, you're not giving up!"

"Don't you get it?" She shrieked. "I am dying, Jess! My life will end sooner than normal peoples because of an illness that is slowly destroying my body!"

"Dani-"

She quickly cut him off. "Don't you dare say anything. Don't you _dare_ say anything, Jess. I'm going to bed." She limped past him, leaving him to stare at her retreating back.

* * *

The next morning, she woke up with a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Rolling over, she slapped the alarm that was beeping angrily in her ear. Sitting up, she noticed Jess in the kitchen. Walking over, she stopped a few feet away from him. "Jess."

"Not now." He turned to look at her, taking in her bed head and purple pajama pants with poodles on them. "It's almost time for school."

"Like you care." She shot back.

"I'm going to graduate, so I can get a job and pay off _your_ medical bills!" He snapped, still hurt and angry with Dani's outburst.

She took a step back, stung. "I didn't choose for this to happen."

Jess swore under his breath and looked away, unable to make eye contact. Finally collecting himself, he looked at her. "I know." Her lip trembled and she stepped into his warm embrace, wrapping her arms around him, telling him silently that she needed him.

"I'm sorry." She murmured against his shoulder.

"I know." He tugged lightly on an earring as she pulled away, kissing his cheek swiftly. "Me too".

She pointed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go get dressed."

He nodded. "Go."

She gave him a small smile and grabbed her clothes.

* * *

Dani entered the diner after school to find it empty. "Where is everyone?" She asked Luke, who was wiping down the counter.

"Not here." Luke replied, ignoring the 'Duh' look, Dani shot him.

"Okay, so I don't have to work?" She asked, a plan quickly forming in her mind.

"Sure." Luke gave her a strange look.

"You don't have to work either?"

"The diner's not officially closed, but-" Luke watched her eyes change to a blue-gray, knowing she was planning something. "Dani, what's up?"

"I need you to come to the hospital with me." She looked anywhere but him, at that minute.

Luke set down the rag. "Why?" Concern evident in his tone and facial expression.

"We need to review my treatment plan so we can get started on my chemotherapy." Dani barely had time to get the sentence out before Luke spoke.

"No." He said, shaking his head adamantly.

"Luke, come on." Dani begged. "My doctor needs to speak with you. She specifically asked."

"Dani, I can't." Luke said firmly.

"Why not?" She openly dared him, staring him down as if she were challenging him.

"Have Jess go. Or Lorelai, you like Lorelai." He avoided the question, knowing Dani knew his true reasons for not wanting to go.

"Yes, I _do_ like Lorelai, but I'm not in her custody. Or Jess' either." Dani pointed out, getting frustrated with his excuses.

Luke looked at her. "How soon do we need to leave?" Finally showing his concern and admitting his defeat.

Dani squealed and threw her arms around him, before hurrying upstairs to grab her jacket. "We can leave now."

* * *

She slid into the car beside Luke, who was looking thoroughly miserable. "Cheer up Skippy, we're not there yet." She teased.

"Why are you so happy about this?" Luke questioned.

"Because I'm getting treated for my life-threatening illness?" Dani asked sarcastically.

After bantering for a few minutes, the two fell into a comfortable silence that lasted until they reached the hospital.

Twenty minutes later, Dani found herself sitting in a room, discussing her treatment plan with Dr Warren and Luke. "So, I want to start you on chemotherapy as soon as possible, so that we can try to keep it from spreading." Dr Warren explained.

"So what kind of time frame are we talking?" Dani asked, dreading the answer.

"I want to start you by next week." The doctor said frankly.

Dani almost choked. "Next week, um, wow."

"I know it's soon, but time is of the essence." Dr Warren comforted.

"I understand." Dani lied, her insides churning. "Will I have radiation?"

"Not just yet, but there is a possibility." The young redhead, stood up. "And unless you have any more questions, we're done here."

"I think we're good, thanks." Dani shook the woman's hand.

"Okay. I'll call you later this week to work out your appointment." Amelia Warren shook Luke's hand as well.

"Bye." Dani hurried out of the hospital, almost to the point of being rude. The two sat in the car for several minutes before leaving. "Uncle Luke?" Dani asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine." Her uncle answered before she could form the question.

She settled back against the seat. "Do you want me to drive?" She asked, sensing that he wasn't as okay as he said he was.

"You can drive?" Luke sounded surprised.

"I have my learner's permit." Dani silently cheered as Luke opened the door and went around to the passenger side.

She slid to the driver's seat and headed for Stars Hollow.

* * *

"What's going on?" Dani slid out of the truck, slipping the keys into her pocket and hurrying toward Miss Patty's, where every light was on and they could hear arguing. When they went inside, they found the town in the middle of a classic clash between Taylor and the town. Dani repeated her question to Lorelai, who Luke and Dani found enjoying the show with Jelly Beans and Red Vines.

"See, Bootsy wanted to sell this _really _inappropriate magazine at his stand and Taylor caught him." Lorelai explained, passing Dani the Jelly Beans.

"Oops." Dani giggled, pushing her trip to the hospital to the back of her mind.

Lorelai, Rory, Dani, Luke and Jess(who had snuck in) watched the drama of the magazine unload. Dani was almost asleep when the town collectively gasped and she felt every eye in the building turn to her.


	16. Chapter 15

Dani knew instantly what had happened. "Who heard?" She asked Jess, who was sitting beside her.

"Babbette." Was the answer that she knew had been coming.

"Danielle?" Taylor peered at her, the question everyone wanted to ask, plainly written across his face.

"Yes, Taylor?" Dani answered without a hint of patience.

"Is it true?" Taylor asked.

"Is what true, Taylor?" Dani was purposely goading him and everyone knew it.

"Do you have a life threatening illness?" Miss Patty asked bluntly.

Dani went up to the front and sat on the stage and began her story. "About five months ago, I was raped by my mother's boyfriend." She told them, without preamble, wincing at the gasp that swept the town.

"Who do we have to hunt and kill?" Andrew, the bookstore owner, called.

"No one, Andrew. It's just part of my story." Dani explained, her patience returning. "Anyway, almost a month ago, I was at Lorelai's house and fainted. She, Rory, Luke, and Jess took me to the hospital, where-" She took a deep breath, struggling a little bit. "Where I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Leukemia. The rape severely weakened my body, so I will be starting chemotherapy next week in an effort to contain it." The town immediately gasped and began to whisper amongst themselves, some of them not even bothering to whisper.

"Are you going to die?" A little girl, who looked to be about four and who's parents had obviously just explained Dani's illness to her, came up to her.

Dani picked her up and sat her on her lap. "What's your name?"

"Emily." Emily stuck her thumb into her mouth.

"Well, Emily, I hope not." Emily started to look worried, so Dani tickled her gently. The girl giggled and scampered back to her parents.

"What are your future plans?" Gypsy asked.

"Future plans?" Dani glanced over at Jess, who nodded encouragingly. She hadn't expected the all the questions.

"Yeah, like college and stuff like that." Babbette clarified.

"I plan to make it through high school, pinch myself to make sure I haven't died from SATs." Dani paused as the town laughed. "And to see where it goes from there. I'm not dying anytime soon, at least I hope not. I just have a…." She searched for the right word. "A slight weakness."

"And I'm Elizabeth Taylor." Lorelai quietly scoffed to Luke.

"Honey!" Babbette called to Dani, attracting everyone's attention. "Morey wants to know if you'll sing with him when his parents come to visit!"

Dani looked taken aback. "Um, of course, Babbette. Any time."

"Thanks sweetie!" Babbette shouted hoarsely, worming her way through the crowd and leaving.

Dani looked confused for a second, before someone else caught her gaze.

* * *

Dani fell onto her bed after escaping the chaos that was her town. Luke and Lorelai were downstairs talking and Jess had to run an errand. "I hate people." She told the empty apartment, before pulling a pillow over her head.

"I feel so special." Jess's sarcastic tone reached her through the pillow.

"Shut up." She pulled her pillow of her face, glaring at him. "Why are you so happy?"

To the normal person, her brother would have masked his happiness well, but to his sister, forget it.

"You can't tell _anyone_." He started, sitting on her feet.

"Ooh, intrigue." Dani pulled her feet out from under him and shifting into a sitting position.

"Promise?" Jess asked warningly. Dani rolled her eyes, but promised anyway and took a sip of her soda that Jess had gotten for her. "Rory and I are dating."

Dani coughed, sending her soda everywhere. "What?" She wiped her streaming eyes. "What about Dean? What will the town say? How long-?"

Jess cut her off by clapping his hand to her mouth, pulling away in disgust when she licked it. "Gross, Kris."

"Deal." She told him sharply.

"I won't tell you any more details." He threatened.

"I take it back, I take it back!" She lay down on her stomach, head almost in his lap, looking imploringly up at him. "Please tell me more."

"It was the day you came home from the hospital." He started, making Dani shriek in happiness and climb into his lap, hugging him quickly.

* * *

When Dani and Jess came out of the apartment the next week and found Rory and Lorelai, Dani had to work hard to control her giggles. Jess sent her a warning look that only increased her laughter. He dragged her back upstairs, where she howled with laughter.

"I'm going to kill you." He threatened teasingly.

"I'm sorry." Dani forced out.

"Are you done now?" Jess asked impatiently.

She nodded, only to turn back at the bottom of the stairs, still laughing.

Jess shook his head and wandered downstairs, hoping against hope that the Gilmore Girls weren't still there. They were.

Wanting to slam his head against a wall, he grabbed his jacket, calling to Luke that he was running an errand for Dani, he left.

About five blocks later, hands shoved deep in her pockets, Rory caught up to him. "Hey." She pulled him into an alley and kissed him quickly.

"Hi." He said quietly.

She bit her lower lip and looked at him. "Does Dani know?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"I figured." She sat on the ground, pulling him down beside her.

"So…" He played with her hair, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Are we going to keep this a secret?" She asked.

He looked down at her. "Do you want to?"

She glanced away, "I don't know. Yes, no, maybe."

"Well, at least I have my answer." He teased.

She suddenly turned to face him. "Please don't tell my mom."

"Why?"

"She's…not exactly your biggest fan."

"She hates me."

"Not really." Under her boyfriend's gaze, Rory caved. "Yeah, she hates you."

Chuckling, Jess kissed her head and smoothed her hair. "Dani thinks the world of you." He told her randomly.

"That's always good to hear." Rory grinned, the smile disappearing with Jess's next sentence.

"She used to ride horses, you know."

"No, I didn't."

"It was her biggest dream to become an equine vet."

"What happened?" Rory asked, picking up on the past tense.

"She fell." His voice sounded thick. "She was going over a course of jumps that were 3 foot and her horse refused at a one of them with a lot of poles built on top of one another, she went through it and one of the poles fell on her. It shattered her confidence."

Jess's tone changed to regret. "She never went near another horse again."

Rory slid her hand into his that was hanging around her shoulder, intertwining their fingers. "I'm sorry."

He grinned ruefully. "You're sweet."

She kissed him quickly. "It's my job. That and keeping you in line."

He faked an offended look. "I don't need help, I have Dani."

"It's nice to know I'm needed." She teased, before kissing him again.

"Actually, there _is_ something I could use your help with." He told her, pulling away.

"What?"

"This." He kissed her, a lightheaded feeling sweeping over the both of them.

"Don't make me barf." Dani was leaning against the wall of the building opposite them, Luke's truck behind her.

"What do you want?" Jess asked aggressively.

"Just to let you know, that Lorelai is looking for Rory and I'm going to the hospital." She twirled the keys around her finger. "I also need someone to come with me, because I only have my permit." She paused, looking at the two. "So, which victim will it be?"

"Why don't you take my mom?" Rory suggested. Dani looked at her, bewildered. "Take my mom to chemo with you. She can drive you back and it will be legal and everything." She elaborated.

"Do you know where she is?" Dani asked. After Dani caught up with Lorelai and convinced her to drive they pulled into the hospital parking lot and turned off the car.

"Why do I feel like I'm walking into the seventh ring of Hell?" She asked Lorelai, cracking a smile.

Lorelai smiled sympathically and opened her door. "Let's go."

"Goody." Dani muttered.

As they walked into the doors of the hospital Lorelai wrapped an arm around Dani's shoulders. "Everything will be ok kiddo"

"Easy for you to say." Dani muttered, giving Lorelai a quick hug as the nurse called her name.

"I'll be right here." Lorelai promised, picking up a magazine and taking a seat.

"Wait," Dani paused. "Come back with me."

Lorelai looked surprised. "Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

Dani held out her hand. "Positive." She grinned as Lorelai took it and they disappeared into the examining room.

* * *

"We have to get Indian food!" Rory protested as Jess took the menu out of her hands.

"No way!" He retorted obviously disgusted.

"Please?" Rory added the puppy dog eyes.

Jess threw his hands up in the air in defeat, sending the take-out menu flying. "Fine. But, we might as well start getting the house ready to be torched. It is the only way to get the smell out!" Jess said, only half teasing.

Rory stood there somewhat astonished that Jess caved so quickly and made a mental note of what worked. "Okay, anything that you don't want or like?"

"Nope" Jess replied as he bent to pick up the fallen menu. Rory was caught staring at his butt as he turned to ask her, "So what are your favorite dishes?" Jess's smirk caused Rory to flame bright red.

"Uh." Rory was momentarily speechless. "I like-" She could only get that far, before he pulled out a book out of his pocket and started scribbling in the margins.

"What are you doing?" She asked, scandalized. Jess shot her a 'Duh' look.

"Writing, Doogie."

"Oh." She blushed, again, her face showing just how flustered Jess made her, as she tried to peak at what Jess was writing in his book, "Whatcha writing?" Rory's face showed just how flustered Jess made her, as she tried to peak at what Jess was writing in his book.

"Nope." Jess snapped it shut.

"Please?" She begged, employing the puppy eyes.

"No." He said firmly.

'_Damn_', Rory thought as she watched Jess walk from the room. '_It worked a minute ago_!' Jess peered over his shoulder and chuckled to himself to see Rory blatantly staring at him again.

She hurried after him, when she realized he was returning her stare. "Stop that." She ordered, pausing in front of him, trying to break his gaze.

"Stop what?" he said with an uncharacteristic smile gracing his face.

"That..." Rory hesitated as Jess leaned in to kiss her.

"This?" He pulled away.

"No, idiot." She retorted.

"Well then what?" He openly mocked her. She faked a gasp and stepped closer, pulling him to her.

"Staring at me."

"I have no choice." He breathed, right as their lips met.

"Good." She laughed at him as he plastered a fake hurt look onto his face and she leaned in to kiss him again. Just as he began to deepen the kiss, they heard the door open.

* * *

Lorelai watched as the nurse inserted the IV needle. Dani bit her lip fearfully. Lorelai walked over to the examining table and held Dani's hand as she started to tell her silly knock-knock jokes. "Does it hurt, honey?" Lorelai asked, as Dani's face whitened.

"Little bit." Dani whispered.

"I'm sorry." Lorelai murmured. Lorelai watched as Dani's white face suddenly turned green.

Dani bolted upright and painfully moaned, "Lore…" She didn't get to finish her statement as she retched all over the floor. Lorelai quickly walked over to the sink and got a few towels and ran them under cold water and returned to Dani's side with the waste basket in hand. She placed the waste basket in Dani's lap as she placed the cool towels on Dani's neck and helped her clean herself up.

"It's okay." Lorelai soothed, rubbing her back Dani's wave of nausea slowly ebbed away as sleep overcame her senses. Lorelai sat beside Dani and gently brushed her hair back from her face as she slept and wondered why such a sweet girl would have to endure this.

"Your daughter?" The nurse asked. Lorelai started to answer and was cut off. "You two look a lot alike."

"Thank you." Lorelai hesitated over the words. "But she isn't my daughter, just a really good friend"

"Oh." The woman blushed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I can see how you could make that assumption." Lorelai said with a small smile. "She is a great girl"

"She looks like it." The woman nodded. "How old is she?"

"Fifteen." Lorelai answered, still gently running her fingers through Dani's hair. "About how long do you think that she will be sick like this from the chemo?" Lorelai asked in a whisper.

"It depends." The nurse admitted.

"What else will she have to go through?"

"Um, some patients go through different things. We had a couple of people who had really weird cravings." The nurse smiled gently.

"Like pregnancy cravings?" Lorelai laughed

"Exactly." The nurse nodded, "Some have memory loss or get confused easily"

"Wow." Lorelai turned to the pale girl who was sleeping beside her, wincing at the thought of her enduring that.

"The worst is the nausea. It hits everyone equally and it is something that is hard to control" The nurse said as she looked on sympathetically.

"So, she will definitely have this?" Lorelai asked.

"There is a very high chance she will." Lorelai turned back towards Dani with a tear falling down her cheek as the nurse said. "Just let me know if you need anything else. Ask for Julia."

"I will. Thank you."

"Any time." The nurse left.

* * *

"I feel like crap." Dani said, leaning heavily on her.

"I know, honey." Lorelai comforted. They opened the door to the Crap Shack, walking in, finding Rory and Jess in the hallway. Rory sprang away from Jess as her mom and Dani walked in, Dani leaning on Lorelai pretty heavily. "Hi guys." Lorelai greeted, noticing that Rory was flushed, "Um, Ror you ok?"

"Um, sure Mom! It's just a little warm in here." Rory said in a rush. "Dani are you ok?" She asked out of concern and desperately wanting the focus off of her at that moment.

Jess walked over to Dani and wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her to the sofa. "Kris, how are you feeling?"

"Please don't make me answer that." Dani moaned.

Jess sat looking at her intently and gently said "Kris..." Dani just shifted her eyes to him and he immediately understood. "I'm so sorry." He kissed her forehead gently. Rory was surprised at her boyfriend's tenderness around his baby sister. Jess shifted to where he was cradling her as she drifted off to sleep.

Dani groaned as the world spun around her. Lorelai remembering, Julia's warnings went to get a bucket and placed it in front of Dani. "Sweetie, do you think you could drink some ginger ale and maybe keep down some crackers?" she asked softly as she sat gently beside Dani.

Dani nodded mutely before giving a weak, "Yeah". Rory went into the kitchen and poured the ginger ale over ice and searched the cupboards for crackers and came up empty.

"Mom, we don't have any crackers, I'll go to Doose's and be right back." Rory announced, entering the living room.

Lorelai looked at Rory knowing that something was up, but decided to question her later. "Okay kiddo, just hurry back!"

Rory nodded and grabbed her coat as she walked out the door.

Jess looked at Lorelai and noticed the glint in her eye that also housed confusion. "Hey Rory I'll go with you" When Lorelai shot him a questioning look, he quickly explained. "I, um, need to get stuff for Luke." He hastily grabbed his jacket and jogged over to the door and followed Rory out.

Lorelai looked over to Dani, "Well that was just weird, or was it just me?" she said with her eyebrow quirked. Dani just shrugged and tried to hide her smirk. "What do you know that I don't?" Lorelai asked.

Dani just looked at Lorelai with as straight a face as she could muster and simply stated, "Nothing", before being hit with another wave of nausea.

Lorelai looked at her with her mouth hanging open. "Not to be mean, but it serves you right to be sick for lying to me." Dani turned toward Lorelai and glared at her, before rushing to the bathroom.

* * *

"Well, Mom knows something is up" Rory said to Jess as they walked toward town.

"No kidding. I thought she was going to kill me with her gaze." Rory shoved him for that comment. "Hey!" He protested, stumbling a bit from her shove and started to chuckle.

"What is so funny?" Rory demanded.

"You." He retorted.

"What about me?" She asked, slightly offended

"So what if she thinks she knows." Jess said emphasizing '_thinks_'.

"We haven't confirmed or denied"

"Your mother has some creepy sixth sense then." He told her, refraining from wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes she is the all knowing Lorelai" Rory retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Jess smirked and nodded.

"She'd like me more if we told her." He grouched.

"Shut up." She retorted, giggling at Jess's serious expression

"You're mean." He pouted

Rory just leaned in to kiss him. "Forgive me now?"

Jess thought for a minute, "You think that highly of yourself?"

She giggled again before saying "Yes" and kissing him deeper.

"You're hilarious when you're trying to get me to forgive you." He told her, before he quickly kissed her, leading her into Doose's. What neither realized was that they were being watched from inside the diner. Luke stood there wearing a large smile.

"And you're a butt when you're trying to be annoying." She told him, weaving through the aisles.

"Seriously, we have to figure out what we do and do not want Lorelai to know." Jess said noting Rory's change in attitude.

"But you're so cute when you're worried." She teased.

Jess scrunched up his face, "Ok no more coffee for you!" Knowing that he would get a reaction.

"Not my elixir of life" She shouted dramatically, and then she gasped. "I hate you!"

He kissed her deeply, almost bending her back. "No you don't, you love me." He smirked, letting her go. She stood in shock, not really knowing what to say. Her shock turned to amusement as Jess suddenly turned pink realizing his slip.

As they bantered and shopped they never realized that Dean was lurking behind the shelves spying. Jealousy was radiating off him in waves as he saw Rory lean in for a kiss with Jess and Jess immediately deepened it. One thought ran through his mind...revenge.

Rory and Jess happily bantered as they paid for their purchases and walked out the door. Dean watched as they left and began formulating his plan.

* * *

Dean took his ten minutes and practically ran from the store. Beating on his friend Kyle's front door, he entered the house and began telling Kyle what he had just witnessed. The extended version.

* * *

Rory lead the way up to her front door, pulling Jess behind her. "Time to face the music." She murmured, before opening the front door.

"Mom we're back" she called through the house.

Lorelai popped out. "Shhhhh, Dani's asleep and we need to talk"

"Oh boy." Jess muttered, earning him an elbow in the ribs and a glare from Rory, before exchanging a glance and following Lorelai into the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N: It probably wouldn't do any good to tell you guys that it took forever. Hopefully you guys have figured that out. LoL Melody and I are working on the next chapter, so thank God for IM! We should have this up soon. Sooner than this one though. **

**Please review, we would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. If you have any questions, Yahoo! IM me at LedaLo56 or email me at starwars147(at)clearintent(dot)net. **

**Thanks!**

**Brianne  
**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Wow! Two chapters in 3 days! You guys are lucky!! You can thank me in reviews...(Hint, Hint! LoL) Our muses are screaming at us right now, so we have another chapter in the works! It's already three pages so please don't get sick of us! **

**I've included a small recap, just for this one chapter. Just FYI. **

**Please review!**

**Brianne**

* * *

_"Mom we're back" Rory called through the house. _

_Lorelai popped out. "Shhhhh, Dani's asleep and we need to talk" _

_"Oh boy." Jess muttered, earning him an elbow in the ribs and a glare from Rory, before exchanging a glance before following Lorelai into the kitchen. _

_"Sit." Lorelai commanded pulling out a chair._

* * *

"But what if I don't want to?" Jess retorted. 

Lorelai pointed to the chair. "Sit, now." Her tone was dangerous and deadly. "Okay, you two, spill!" Lorelai commanded as she leaned against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest.

Her attempt to be intimidating made Jess laugh out loud. "But I don't want to." Jess mocked.

"I don't care what you want, I'm older, prettier and need answers _now_!" Lorelai ended in a scream and both teens jumped at the sudden change in volume.

"Only fifteen years." Jess muttered.

"Boy, are you asking for punishment? Never and I do mean _never_ go there again!" Lorelai pointed at him, then she turned to Rory. "Spill, Lorelai the third."

"Mom" Rory started weakly and avoided eye contact.

Lorelai tilted her face up to her "We don't keep secrets, remember?"

"Yeah, but-"

"There are _no_ 'but's to this conversation, young lady." Lorelai sounded _mad_.

Rory immediately cowered in front of her mother and Jess sat, unable to speak, watching them.

"Um... Well the thing is…" Rory tried, nervously twisting her hands in her lap. "Mommy, don't be mad." She pleaded.

"I can't promise that." Lorelai softened, just a little bit.

"But you can try, right?" Rory looked up and made eye contact for the first time in the conversation.

Lorelai sighed deeply as she looked at her daughter's timid form. "I'll try to understand, but you have to tell me, so I can be understanding." She tried, giving Rory a small smile.

Jess looked dumbfounded at their relationship, thinking that he would love to have that with Liz. Thinking of how he had that with Dani, almost.

"Mom, Jess and I are dating." Rory managed the words with difficulty, thinking how good it felt to admit it to someone.

* * *

Dani walked into the kitchen, her face white and holding onto the counter for support. "Hey guys." She greeted softly. 

Jess sprang from his seat appearing by her side in an instant helping her into his vacant chair. "You feeling better at all, Kris?"

She managed a small smile. "I'm not really looking forward to the next chemo treatment, but yeah, I'm okay." She nodded and the room spun. "If I don't do that, that is." The group laughed quietly.

Rory and Jess shared a glance and welcomed Dani's appearance as a distraction.

Lorelai sat completely immobile and silent during Dani's appearance. "What's up with Lorelai? Dani asked confused, looking at Lorelai who had a shocked expression on her face and was staring at Rory with her mouth open.

"She's in shock, I think." Jess told her.

"Why?" Dani asked quietly.

"We told her." Rory chimed in.

Dani's giggle seemed to break Lorelai's trance. She turned to Dani. ''When did you get here?" The teens laughed at her. "What, what's so funny?" She demanded.

"You are." Dani smiled.

"Glad to be of service." Lorelai snapped, grabbing her purse and slamming the back door behind her.

* * *

She fumed all the way to Luke's, where she banged on the door, ignoring the 'Closed' sign. 

"What? Jeez." Luke jumped from where he was wiping down the counter jogging over to the door and unlocking it before Lorelai shoved it open and walked around him.

"Did you know?" She demanded desperately, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"Know what?" Luke looked clueless, as usual watching her stomp around the counter.

"About Rory and Jess, idiot!" Lorelai slammed the cup down on the counter, the cup shattering and coffee spilling over her hands. Luke's shock at Lorelai's behavior made him stare at her for a minute before he could respond.

"Yeah. I saw them earlier." Luke cleaned up the counter, just barely glancing up to take in Lorelai's expression.

"And you didn't tell me?" She asked, swiveling on the stool to keep him in her gaze.

Luke winced, "Because I thought you knew." He glanced at her.

"Nope. New cup of coffee?" She gestured to him, indicating that she needed coffee.

"How was chemo?" He switched the topic quickly.

"Your poor niece." She chewed on a fingernail thoughtfully. Luke immediately noticed her change in demeanor and sighed deeply.

"She's okay?" Luke changed the coffee filter desperately looking for something to keep his hands busy.

"She will be." Lorelai admitted.

"Well, that's reassuring." He said sarcastically, leaning over the counter.

"Yeah." She leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching. "Yeah." She whispered, right before their lips met. They separated reluctantly gazing into each other's eyes.

"Six years and one horoscope." He told her.

"Yeah. Six years and one horoscope." She repeated breathlessly, before they kissed again.

Lorelai pulled away, "Wait, what horoscope?"

"The one that I carried around in my wallet for six years." Luke pulled out his wallet and showed her.

Lorelai read her addition and a silent tear slipped down her cheek. "What would I do without you?" She asked, looking up at him, not bothering to brush the tear away.

"Go coffee-less." He teased.

"Is there such a thing?" She asked, hestatently giving him another kiss and picked up her purse.

"Where are you going?" He asked gently.

"Home." She left the diner much quietly than when she had entered, leaving Luke at the counter, wondering how he had gotten such an amazing chance to go out with Lorelai Gilmore.

* * *

Rory, Jess and Dani were all sitting in the kitchen watching the door blow in the wind. "I guess we should shut the door." Rory said still not believing her mother's reaction. 

"I'll do it." Dani slowly made her way to the way to the door and shut it, shivering from the cold breeze

"What the hell was that?" Jess bellowed causing both Dani and Rory to jump and turn to him quickly.

Dani grabbed her head and moaned. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." Jess's tone softened a tiny little bit.

"What's wrong with you?" Dani stared at her brother.

"Sorry Kris" Jess said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the sofa. "I guess I'm a little tense."

Dani turned to him and dryly retorted, "Well duh!"

Her response made Rory start to laugh and Dani soon joined her as Jess scowled. "Come on, that was not a good reaction to us dating!" At his protest the girls only laughed harder.

Rory began to calm herself down and walked over to Jess and gently sat on his lap. "She will be ok, I promise"

"I know." Jess wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder. "You better be worth it." He teased, earning him a slap on the head courtesy of Rory.

Dani playfully glared at him, "Hey, be nice or I'll tell stories about your Power Ranger phase" she giggled through her threat.

"It was not Power Rangers, it was Teenage Mutant Turtles, or something like that." Jess defended himself. "Miss Barbie." He reminded her.

Rory giggled and buried her face in his chest. "Whmf wzzz oor fvr?" She mumbled.

"What?" Dani and Jess chorused together, looking at her in confusion.

Rory stopped laughing and turned to them seriously. "Red, Blue, Yellow, or were you a Pink Ranger fan?" Dani started to laugh as Jess stood up abruptly and sent Rory falling directly on her butt onto the hardwood floor.

Jess stomped out of the house slamming the door in the process. "Maybe I shouldn't have teased him like that." Rory admitted sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, he'll be ok" Dani told her with a twinkle in her eye, "How did you know the colors of the Power Rangers?"

Rory blushed and turned her head, "I may have watched a few times."

Dani laughed long and loud before hearing the door open and Lorelai call through the house. "The mommy's home!"

"I should probably go." Dani hurried out of the house, just before Lorelai came in.

* * *

Lorelai came into the kitchen and surveyed Rory sitting there with a critical eye. "Where's your boyfriend?" She asked, almost taunting her. When she didn't get a response, Lorelai stood with her arms crossed looking at Rory. "How long?" 

"How long what?" Rory tried playing dumb.

"How long have you been hiding this thing with Jess." Lorelai said trying to remain calm.

"It's not thing." Rory avoided the question.

"Quit playing dumb." Lorelai snapped, her temper reaching boiling point. Lorelai took a deep breath before puling out a chair and plopping herself into it. "Please just answer me, please?" She pleaded looking at Rory's shrunken form.

"Three weeks." Rory said quietly, still avoiding eye contact.

Lorelai stood from her chair "Why did you keep it from me for three weeks? Did you not think that I would try to understand this?"

"Because I knew you would react like this!" Rory stood too.

"How am I reacting?" Lorelai asked.

Rory finally met her gaze. "Like my mother's mother."

Lorelai looked extremely hurt and angry.

Rory stood her ground silently wondering if she should have said that.

"Well it must be genetic." Lorelai snapped.

Rory looked up to her mother in shock. Lorelai took one look at Rory's shocked expression and doubled over in laughter. Rory stepped back, clearly stung.

"That is so not funny!" Rory protested, but joined her mother in laughter.

"We're a great team." Lorelai hugged her quickly.

Rory stood stiff as a board before slowly relaxing into her mothers embrace. "We most definitely do"

"Oh, my God. I forgot, guess what?" Lorelai pulled out a chair and sat down, relaying to her daughter what had transpired at Luke's.

"What do you mean Luke knows?" Rory said slightly panicked "We were doing so well keeping this quiet!"

"Apparently not." Lorelai quipped, still hurting.

"But you kissed Luke!" Rory shrieked.

"I know!" Lorelai smiled, a glazed, hazy look coming over her as a result of her day-dream.

"Gross, Mom, _please_ stop fantasizing about Luke with me in the room." Rory teased, only slightly joking.

"Shut up." Lorelai playfully responded.

* * *

"That went well." Dani joked, sitting beside Jess on the bridge. 

Jess reluctantly stubbed out his cigarette. "Sure."

"Someone's talkative today." Dani made her look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He sighed. "Everything."

"You're telling me." Dani agreed.

"Why did you have to start telling Rory all that stuff about me?" Jess started.

Dani sat there realizing that something deeper was bothering him. "What's the real problem?"

Jess sighed deeply. "Lorelai's reaction" He said quietly.

Dani nodded, "She will be ok, just give it time."

"What if Rory changes her mind because of Lorelai? You know they are freakishly linked!" He shouted causing Dani to wince at his volume, her head still hurting.

"Nothing could make Rory change her mind about you." She told him softly.

"Yeah, right." He snorted.

"Listen dummy, she likes you! Even a blind person could see it!" Dani tried.

"So now I'm dumb?" He asked her angrily.

"You're not dumb...you just act it sometimes." Dani said giggling.

Jess laughed hollowly, his sister's humor was infectious, "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome."

Jess met her gaze, love evident in his eyes. "I mean it."

"I love you too." She smiled slightly. "Because if you didn't, I would be screwed." She continued, laughing.

"Glad to know I'm needed." He teased.

Dani hugged him, then rested her head on his shoulder. "Always."

She then yawned. "Now, as can we please go home?"

"Sure." Jess sounded surprised. "It's only 10."

"Says the guy who didn't have cell-killing medicine injected in him." Dani helped him up, then leaned on him for support.

* * *

Dani woke up the next morning at 3 and went over and poked Jess awake. "Dani." He groaned, trying to hit her with his eyes closed and failing. 

"Get up." She hissed. "I want pickle and chocolate chip pancakes."

"But you hate both pickles and chocolate," He pointed out.

"I don't care. I want it and I want it now." She told him firmly, shoving him off the couch that doubled as his bed.

"Okay, what is your damage this morning?" Jess snapped

"Chemo. Jeez, you're dumb at-" She checked his watch. "3:04 in the morning."

"3:04 in the, wha?" Jess mumbled incoherently, rubbing his head in confusion.

"The morning." She pushed him down the stairs to the diner's kitchen.

Jess stumbled on the last couple of stairs and landed with a thud on the diner floor. "Great." He said sarcastically.

Dani howled with laughter and stepped over him, grabbing her cell phone that she had left downstairs and snapped a picture, blinding Jess with the flash.

"Kris." Jess growled before hoisting himself out of the floor and advancing toward Dani.

"Bye." She hurried into the storage room, bumping her lower arm into the counter on the way, making her curse fluently under her breath.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate you?" He asked rhetorically.

"You just did." She poked her head out of the storage room, making sure the coast was clear.

Jess stomped up the stairs as Dani exited the storage room and went in search of chocolate ice cream and those pickles she wanted so badly.

Dani entered the kitchen and pulled out the ice cream, pickles and milk and placed them on the counter. "Blender, Blender, where is the blender?" She said as she looked through the cabinets.

"Ah ha, there you are!" she said pulling the appliance out of the cabinet. "It's not pancakes, but it will have to do!" Just as she was finishing she heard footsteps coming her way.

"You're making it impossible to go to sleep." He told her before looking in the cup. "That looks nasty!" Jess informed her, watching her drink her milkshake.

"It's really good." She said, offering it to him teasingly, then looking disappointed when he rejected it with a look of disgust.

Jess's face contorted in disgust, "Okay, why the sudden need to drink this nasty- gross, what is this?"

"Chocolate & Pickle milkshake" Dani said before proclaiming, "Luke really needs to make these!"

Jess shook his head. "Oh, no, he does not."

Dani gasped before saying, "You're right, it needs coffee in it."

"You have to be smoking something! What are you on, Kristin?" Jess snarled as he grabbed Dani's shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Let go of me!" She snapped.

"Not until you tell me what you're on." He said tightening his grip.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She yelled, trying to slap him.

Jess grabbed her hand before she made contact. "You're acting like you're high and you're asking what is wrong with me? Come on!"

"Yeah, Jess. I'm high because I just got shot up with a bunch of chemicals!"

"What kind of chemicals?" He asked suspiciously, tightening his grip even more.

"Just my chemo, jeez Jess! Lay off!" Dani yelled, apparently waking Luke in the process.

"What are you two doing up and why are you yelling?" Luke said before he noticed Dani's milkshake, "And, what is this?" He said, holding the glass between his thumb and pointer finger, his face contorted in disgust.

"My milkshake," Dani answered proudly, "Want one?"

"_No_!" Luke and Jess shouted simultaneously.

"Forget I asked." Dani snapped, hurt physically and mentally by Jess's attack, before taking her beloved drink upstairs and returning to bed.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here you are! Another fast update! I'll let you get to your reading! **

**Love,**

**Brianne**

* * *

The bell above the diner door rang cheerfully as Rory and Lorelai walked into Luke's chatting away.

"So we're cool right?" Lorelai asked still feeling unsure.

"Sure mom." Rory says rolling her eyes. "You can stop asking any time now!"

Dani shoved past Jess, not bothering to be gentle and took an order and came back to where Lorelai and Rory were sitting at the counter.

"Hey Dani." Lorelai greeted.

Dani rolled her eyes and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "What can I get you?" Dani asked, boredom evident in her tone.

"Whoa there, everything ok?" Lorelai asked concerned.

"It's fine, what can I get you?" Dani snapped.

"You don't seem fine. You know you can talk to me, no judgment" Lorelai tried.

"Just like last night with Rory and Jess?" Dani snapped, before turning and walking back upstairs.

"Was I that bad?" Lorelai asked a little shocked at Dani's attitude.

"Ouch." Rory watched her go upstairs, before turning to her boyfriend. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Jess lied.

"Liar." Rory caught him.

Jess turned to Rory "Does it really matter to you? It is between Dani and myself, so back off"

"Sorry." Rory said, wondering what had taken place between the two.

Rory turned to Lorelai who had heard their conversation and shot Rory a look of sympathy. "Sweetie, you ok?"

Rory nodded, tears flooded her eyes "yeah" She said quietly fighting to keep her tears at bay.

"You want me to talk to him?" Lorelai asked.

"No, I'll do it." Rory's tears were replaced by fury. How dare he treat her like this!

Rory stomped purposefully toward Jess jerking his arm pulling him into the storage room.

"What the…" Jess was cut off by Rory.

"No I talk, you listen!" Rory started to pace in front of Jess looking similar to a caged animal. Jess was following her with his eyes and barely registered that she was talking to him. "When do you get off telling me that it isn't my business? The minute we started this thing you became my business, especially when you are treating me like crap!" Rory shouted, not really caring who heard her.

"I'm not-" He started.

"No, you are! Don't you dare try to deny it!"

"But-" Jess started.

"Don't you dare try to deny it, Jess Mariano!" Rory shrieked.

"Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" Jess mocked.

"No, I'm not your girlfriend! Because that would mean that we have an open tunnel of communication!" Rory corrected.

"Well, what a stupid mistake!" Jess said sarcastically.

"Yeah, not telling me was a stupid mistake!" Rory yelled.

"Rory." Jess tried to quiet her down.

"What happened?" She asked as he took a seat.

"I was an idiot at 3 in the morning." He told her.

"What were you doing up at 3?" She asked, standing in front of him and putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Dani had a craving." He said, purposely leaving out the finer details.

"How much of an idiot?" She asked.

"A huge idiot."

"Why is Dani so mad though?"

"I kind of, um, accused her of doing drugs." He told her, studying his hands.

"Jess." She groaned, sitting in his lap.

"I know."

Deciding that he felt bad enough, she smiled devilishly at him. "You never told me good morning." She pointed out.

"I'm sorry." He teased, bending down to kiss her. "Good morning." He whispered, just before he kissed her again.

When they finally separated, she bit her lip and looked at him. "That's better."

"So do you accept my apology?" He asked, looking at her.

"One more kiss and I will." She told him.

"I can fix that." He kissed her, deepening it until they had to break apart for air.

"But, I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to." She pointed out.

"Why can't I stay in here with you?" He whined.

"Because Dani is upstairs, probably blasting some really loud country rock on the stereo." She said, knowing she was right, partly because of the noise she could hear from the apartment above.

"But I don't want to." He pouted, sticking his lower lip out.

"Poor baby." She kissed him and got off his lap. "I want coffee and a happy Dani in ten minutes." She warned.

Jess sighed and looked at the ceiling "Make it 20 minutes and we got a deal"

Rory giggled pushing him toward the door "Deal you big baby!"

"I'm not going up there." Jess complained, crossing his arms as he followed her into the diner.

"Yes you are, now go!" Rory demanded.

Jess sighed and accepted defeat as Rory walked over an sat beside Lorelai. He watched her for a minute before shaking his head and walking behind the curtain and up the stairs to talk to Dani.

* * *

Lorelai watched Jess go and leaned down toward Rory, "Everything all good now?" she asked generally concerned.

"Better, but not back completely to good." Rory replied still looking into her coffee mug.

"Hun," Lorelai started but was cut off by Rory.

"He is going to make it good again right now, be prepared to hear yelling in 3, 2, ..."

"I don't care Jess!" Dani's voice echoed through the diner as the inhabitants turned to stare at the ceiling all wondering what was happening up there.

Meanwhile at the same time Dani's face was bright red as Jess tried desperately to calm her down.

* * *

"Dani…" Jess tried in an unusually soft voice as Dani paced in front of him mumbling under her breath something that sounded like 'inconsiderate donkey's rear' which made Jess smirk.

"What are you laughing at?" Dani demanded, coming to a stop in front of him placing her hands on her hips.

Jess's face fell into innocence, "Nothing"

"Whatever." Dani resumed her pacing.

When she took off her sweater that been covering her sleeveless shirt, black and blue bruising covered her upper arms.

Jess stood and walked up to her stopping her pacing. "You're wearing a hold in the floor and what is up with your arms?"

She avoided his gaze and covered her arms with her hands, making sure he didn't touch them. "Nothing." She said quietly, anger deflating like a popped balloon.

"Kris..." Jess looked at her intently. "Please talk to me!"

"Listen I know I was a jerk and I'm sorry! Just don't shut me out" Dani looked at his face seeing nothing but concern and love.

"You were a jerk." She said, walking to the freezer and pulling out ice packs. "So, tell me why I shouldn't hate you."

"You did this." She looked at him and indicated her arms. "You did this." She repeated.

Jess's mouth fell open "Kris, I…" He stopped sighing deeply and running his hand through his hair. "I didn't realize...I'm so so sorry."

"You should be" Dani said. Her tone was one not to be questioned.

"You're right." Jess admitted.

"I know that!" She shrieked. "I tried to tell you that this morning! But did you listen? No!"

"Kris I thought that when you were talking about chemicals and were acting like someone who was high...well I thought that you had tried something." Jess tried his voice raising loud enough for the occupants of the diner to hear.

Lorelai looked to Luke and he simply nodded before returning their gazes to the ceiling.

"Oh, my God! Are you insane?" Dani shrieked. "Jess I'm not that stupid, you're the only one who has smoked pot!"

"How am I supposed to know that? You don't open up to me anymore!" He yelled. "Just open up. Please." Jess pleaded.

"I don't know how to explain it Jess. This is killing me literally and figuratively!" Dani fell to the floor sobs racking her small frame.

When he walked toward her, she leapt to her feet. "Don't touch me." She hissed, eyes narrowed, before walked out the door.

* * *

When she brushed aside the curtain to the downstairs, she felt every eye in the place on her. She suddenly realized she didn't have on her sweater, showing her arms to everyone. She brushed her tears from her face and hurried though the breakfast crowd, barely getting the door shut before the town gossips started to talk.

Jess appeared seconds later looking extremely guilty. "What are you looking at? Mind your own business! " He shouted running after Dani.

The diner buzzed with speculation, "Jess definitely caused those bruises" Kirk announced.

"Or that guy that raped her." Miss Patty suggested.

Lorelai, Rory and Luke were still in shock. Rory meekly said "Jess wouldn't have done that to Dani." Looking up to Luke for confirmation.

Luke shook his head. "No, he wouldn't."

"Good, really good" Rory mumbled and stood to go find Dani or Jess, hopefully both.

"Stop following me." Dani yelled at Jess, stalking down the streets of Stars Hollow.

"I can't do that." He told her.

The various members of the community stopped to watch the duo as they weaved through the streets noticing Rory following the duo making them look like one of those dragons from China on New Years.

"Jess, Dani, please stop" Rory yelled running out of breath. "This is why Gilmore's don't exercised she muttered."

"Dani, stop and talk to me." Jess caught her hand, being mindful of the bruises and spun her around to face him.

"No." She hissed, her eyes blazing with fury.

Rory stood there panting. "W...would some,...whew" Rory stood catching her breath. "Would someone tell me what is going on?" Rory finally panted out.

"I'm sure Jess can. Jess, one last thing." Dani made a bridge with her hands. "Build a bridge and get over it." With that she stalked off, heading for Sophie's Music.

"Rory, can we please not talk about this right now?" Jess pleaded never removing his eyes from Dani's retreating figure.

"No, I want to know what's going on." Rory told him, standing between him and where Dani had been, finally capturing some of his attention. "You can leave out parts of it, but please Jess. I want to know more than what you told me in the storage room."

"If you must know!" Jess looked at her and sighed. "Nope, I can't tell you!"

"Yes you can and you will" Rory demanded folding her arms.

"Like I said, I was tired and flipped out on Dani. She's temperamental because of the chemo and she taking it out on me." Jess explained.

"There's something deeper." Rory probed gently. "Stop hiding it and just tell me"

"I think she's jealous." Jess told her flatly.

"Jealous" Rory said flatly "What?" Rory looked bewildered.

"Yeah, she's always been my girl. You know, my best friend and sister. And now I have you and she feels shoved aside."

"Stop, Rewind and Pause. You think Dani is jealous that we are spending time together?" Rory looked at Jess's squirming figure "Bull!"

"Don't ask me to explain the mind of a girl." Jess defended.

"Again I say Bull! Jess honestly just tell me the truth and stop jerking me around!" Rory gave him the puppy dog look and puckered out her lip.

Jess leaned in to kiss her and she pulled away. "Truth first!"

'She isn't playing fair' Jess thought

"Rory." He sighed, looking away.

"Tell me now." She told him.

"Do I have to?" Jess said sounding like a little boy who wasn't getting his way.

"Yes." She said firmly, crossing her arms to emphasize her point

Rory watched him as he started to look around to see who could possibly be listening in.

"No one's here." She told him after a few minutes. "So tell me now."

"Rory, please don't hold this against me! I really didn't mean to!" Jess pleaded.

"I won't. Now tell me." She said impatiently.

"Last night when Dani was having her weird craving and acting like she was on something, I may have gr.. Rory I really don't want to tell you this!" Jess was starting to panic.

"Jess just tell me, I promise not to be angry." Rory tried

When he continued to look uncomfortable, she leaned forward and kissed him deeply. When she drew away, she looked into his eyes. "Promise."

"Ok, I kinda was angry and when she was acting all weird I grabbed her telling her to tell me what she was on.: Jess avoided Rory's eyes and winced as he heard her gasp.

Rory's voice was almost inaudible. "The bruises are from you."

He sighed and turned away from her, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, they are."

Rory took a deep breath, "Jess have you apologized?"

"No." He sounded, she struggled to find the right word. Ashamed.

"Don't you think that you need to apologize?" Rory tried gently.

"When we get close to one another lately we end up shouting." Jess protested

"Besides, I've tried! You heard, the diner heard, the whole freaking town heard!"

"Forget who heard, just make her listen and clean up this mess that you caused." Rory said starting to get more upset.

"It wasn't just me!" Jess said stubbornly.

"I know that, but you were the one who was at the most fault, so suck it up and fix this!" Rory demanded shoving him in Dani's direction.

"Wait, I have an idea!" He hurried back to her.

"What?" She asked, exasperated.

"You talk to her!" He sounded like a little kid at Christmas.

"No way, It wasn't me that caused this mess" Rory protested waving her arms in front of her.

"But she likes you." He pointed out."Besides, she'll listen to you." He insisted.

Rory scowled, "NO!" forcing him backwards making him stumble and fall into a semi frozen puddle.

Jess glared up at Rory "Can I at least change first?"

Rory tapped her chin as if in deep thought before saying "I guess if you must." Laughing at his attempts to stand. "It's your fault you're wet." She stood over him, her arms crossed.

"Bye." He stood up and hurried back to the diner.

* * *

Dani admired the black guitar that was set up in Sophie's. "It's 200 bucks." She jumped and spun around, revealing Sophie.

"God, Sophie!" Dani exclaimed.

"You want it or not?" Sophie asked.

Dani felt Jess's wallet that she had taken as payback, burning a hole in her purse.

"Well?" Sophie insisted. Dani mentally counted their combined money. "I'll take it."

Jess was going to kill her. 'It is totally worth it' Dani thought imagining Jess's face.

Dani stood waiting for Sophie to ring up her new guitar and wondered if she should have really done this. "Hey Sophie, what is you policy on returns?" Dani asked unsure.

Sophie just sighed "No returns, do you still want it?"

Dani stood admiring the guitar, "Defiantly yes!" she said with a evil smile on her face.

Jess found Dani at the bridge, playing her new guitar. "Where did you get that?" He asked.

Dani smiled evilly at him. "Sophie's."

But Sophie over-charges." He pointed out.

"I didn't pay much!" she said keeping the evil smirk on her face, waiting for him to figure it out.

Oh, my God." Jess pieced it together. "Dani, give me my wallet back."

"Here." She tossed it to him. It felt very light.

Jess frantically opened his wallet to find it empty. "Kris, where is all of MY money?" he said emphasizing my.

"Gone." She said cheerfully.

"What?" His tone was deadly.

"Some call it payback." She stood up and walked past him.

"Kris, wait." His tone sounded tired. She turned around, barely breathing. "I'm sorry." He turned too.

She smiled slightly. "I know." She was setting down her guitar and hugging him before she realized what she was doing. "I know." She repeated. She lifted her legs and he spun her around and 'accidently' falling off the bridge. "Jess!" She screamed when they landed in the cold water.

"It's cold isn't it?" He teased.

"You think?" She shrieked, jumping on his back.

He did a high pictched scream(on purpose) and fell backwards. When she surfaced, she started hitting every part of him she could reach. "You dork!" She screamed playfully.

"I'm a smart dork, thank you very much." He corrected.

Dani pulled herself onto the bridge, being careful not to get near her guitar. "You owe me both 'Legally Blondes' _and _'Summerland' marathon." She informed him.

"Summerland?" He complained.

"Yes, it has both Zac Efron and Jesse McCartney. What's not to love?" She teased.

"I could give you a couple reasons." He grumbled, grabbing her guitar as they stood up.

She kissed his cheek quickly. "I'm sure you could, Bagel Boy."

"Bagel Boy?"

"Yes, symbolizing that you will be playing bagel hockey with me for an hour after closing."

Jess's groan followed them back to the diner.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey all! I'm SO sorry this took so long. Mel and I wrote this chapter twice and I formatted my laptop in the middle of it, so I still don't have all my info, but we will try to get the next one out sooner than this one. **

Reviews would help all that…please?

** --Briannen  
**

* * *

Taylor banged his gavel at the town meeting three days later, bringing everyone's attention up to him. "That's better." He announced pompously.

"You need popcorn every time you're around him." Dani muttered to Lorelai and Rory, both of whom nodded fervently.

"I would like to bring your attention to the next item on the list." Taylor told the group. "I have received word from certain...sources around the town that several of our young people have been partaking in certain activities around town, especially in some of our finer establishments His gaze found Rory and Jess, both of whom seemed to know he was talking about them.

"What did you do?" Dani asked, leaning across Lorelai to talk to Rory.

"Nothing, I swear." Rory protested, shrinking under the gazes she received.

"Jess always does something." Gypsy announced. "He came into my garage and rearranged my tools!"

"Dirty!" Lorelai and Rory shouted in unison.

"You can't prove it was me." Jess pointed out sarcastically. "Freak." He muttered under his breath, receiving an elbow in the ribs from Rory.

Taylor banged the gavel on the podium, "I would like to call the first witness, Dean Forrester." Dean walked to the podium with an evil glint in his eye.

"Oh my God." Rory whispered, immediately putting the puzzle together.

"I will kill that bas-" Jess started.

"Jess!" Rory stopped him before he could finish

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Luke told his nephew.

"Mom, what am I suppose to do about this?" Rory asked starting to hyperventilate.

"Just tell the truth." Lorelai said with fury in her eyes

Dean stood at the podium and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen of Stars Hollow." Dean started.

"Boy, he is laying it on thick." Luke commented adjusting his cap.

"Oh boy." Dani muttered, steeling herself for whatever Dean could throw at her family.

"Recently I was in Doose's working and was distracted by to local teens pawing one another. Personally I am appalled that one of the parties involved was acting in such a manor." Dean started, "Rory Gilmore was once a good girl, however now she has turned into nothing more than-" Dean was interrupted by Jess standing violently to his feet.

Rory's face was turning red from embarrassment as Jess's turned from anger. "Don't you dare finish that if you want to live." Jess said through gritted teeth.

Rory had tears flowing freely down her cheeks as Lorelai's face was contorted in disgust and anger trying to calm her sobbing daughter down.

"I was only speaking the truth buddy." Dean smirked.

"Jess, sit down!" Dani pulled him back into his chair and sat on his lap, ensuring that he wouldn't do that again.

Jess waved off Dani's attempt to make him calm down and stood marching toward Dean with a purpose. "You are just angry that Rory chose me, someone who cares for her and can keep an intelligent conversation going for longer than a minute!

Dean laughed. "You only care until you get into her pants."

A sickening crack was the only thing heard as Jess landed a punch to Dean's nose effectively breaking it in the process. Luke was there in an instant pulling his nephew off of Dean.

Dani jumped to her feet, standing in between Jess and Dean. "Don't you dare talk about my family that way." She said dangerously, her eyes dark with anger.

"What are you going to do?" Dean asked mockingly. "Are you going to hit me?"

"Nope." Dani said calmly. "I'm going to make sure you never reproduce, so I don't have to put up with two of you." She swung her foot hard into his groin causing him to whimper and double over in pain. She hurried back to her seat, putting her arms around Rory while Luke yelled at Jess.

"The guy's a jerk!" They heard Jess point out loudly.

The occupants of the town were murmuring amongst themselves and pointing to the parties involved.

"And you think that gives you an excuse?" Luke demanded.

"I'm sorry, but did you hear what he was saying about my girlfriend?" Jess yelled.

"He had no right to make up things about either of you, but you don't just go around punching people." Luke tried. Hesitantly he added, "No matter how much you wanted to and how much he deserved it."

"Whatever." Jess went over to where Rory was drying her tears. "Hey." He said softly, shoving Dani out of the seat beside Rory and sat there.

Rory wordlessly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

* * *

Rory walked onto the bridge, her footsteps sounding hollow. She had known she would find him here. "Hey." She greeted him quietly.

He flicked the cigarette butt into the lake. "Hey." His voice was equally soft.

"So, tonight." She started timidly.

He exhaled, releasing the last puff of smoke from between his lips. "Tonight. I'm sorry he did that." Jess tried, noticing her tear stained cheeks.

"It isn't your fault! Dean is a jerk!" Rory said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.

Jess sighed. "Yeah he is. But I shouldn't have punched him like that."

"I think it was kind of sexy having you defend my honor like that." She replied with a small smile gracing her face.

"Really?" Jess smiled leaning in to kiss her.

"Yeah." She replied huskily after he pulled away.

* * *

Meanwhile in the diner Luke walked around and poured a cup of coffee and wordlessly placed it in from of Lorelai. "Thanks." She said glancing up to give him a small smile.

"Anytime," was his monotone response.

"What possessed Dean to do that?" Lorelai asked.

"How do I know?" He replied.

"You're a guy. Duh." She said it as if he were an idiot for not getting it right away.

"Well how silly of me not to have known." Luke said sarcastically.

"Yes it was." She teased.

She watched as Luke walked around the counter and sat beside her. "Rory looked so hurt." He said.

"She was." Lorelai said matter-of-factly.

"I know that, but how can I make it not hurt her?" He asked removing his hat and repositioning it atop his head.

"Unfortunately you can't, she has to come to terms with this on her own." Lorelai said placing her hand on his thigh.

Luke immediately stiffened under her touch and hesitantly leaned in and kissed her. She leaned into his kiss, deepening it.

When they broke apart, Lorelai stared at him. "Will you go out with me?" The words spilled out of Luke in a rush.

Lorelai gently kissed him again. "Yeah." Suddenly she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the diner. "Come walk me home."

* * *

Dani climbed the stairs up to the apartment. She flopped on her bed and groaned as the phone immediately rang. "Hello?"

"Somebody's cheerful." Emily greeted her.

"You called right as I lay down." Dani lay back down, sighing as she steadied herself.

"You're okay?" Emily sounded concerned.

"I'm fine, just exhausted." Dani reassured her.

"Well get back up and let me in." Emily's tone was teasing.

"Very funny, Em." Dani replied, not believing her for a second.

"I'm not kidding." A rap was heard from downstairs, at the same time Dani heard from the phone.

"Oh. My. God." Dani got up slowly, then hurried as fast as she could downstairs. She screamed, hanging up the phone, as she saw Emily waving through the glass.

As soon as she got the door unlocked, Emily hugged her tightly. "Move over, Em." Jess spoke from behind her. As Emily let go of Dani and moved over, Jess smiled. "You like?"

Dani put her arm around Emily and hugged her close. "I love, but why did you come?'

Emily stared at her. "Think, Dan."

Dani looked horrified. "I forgot my sixteenth birthday!"

Jess's arms wrapped around her. "Happy birthday, little sis."

"You set this all up for me?" Dani whispered. She laughed as she turned in his arms and hugged him. When he let go of her, she jumped up and down and shrieked. "I can get a driver's license now!"

"Did you help?" Dani turned to Rory, who had been standing behind Jess. She nodded sheepishly. Dani hugged her too "Thanks so much, I don't deserve this!" Dani exclaimed.

"I'm glad." Luke spoke from behind Rory.

"I feel so spoiled." As Dani set one of the upturned chairs onto the floor and sank into it, she laughed dryly. "At least until I remember my chemo appointment tomorrow."

Emily stiffened and stood over her. "Chemotherapy, Miss Mariano?" The others edged upstairs, giving the two some privacy.

Dani grimaced as she remembered she hadn't told Emily about her leukemia, wanting to do it face-to-face. "Yes?" She squeaked.

"Care to explain?" Emily asked.

"No?" Dani tried.

Emily laughed humorlessly. "Care to try again?"

Dani sobered quickly. "I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to tell you in person."

"D." Emily sat beside her. "That's when you call me and say: 'Emily, get your butt down here, I have something life-changing to tell you!'"

Dani stared at her hands, whispering. "I have leukemia."

Emily looked, understandably, stunned. Tears filled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to- I just didn't know how." Dani responded.

Emily hugged her, eyes overflowing. "I love you."

Dani closed her eyes, knowing that this would start to be a rare occurrence. "I love you too."

"And now for your birthday present." Emily went behind the counter and pulled out a box.

Dani gasped playfully, wiping her eyes. "For me?"

"You better believe it."

Dani grabbed the box and opened it to find another box. "You got me a box? Shut up!"

Emily laughed. "Open it, dummy."

Dani quickly opened it to find, yet another box. "Two boxes? I'm so spoiled!" Emily just rolled her eyes as Dani opened that box. "Hey! A wallet!"

"Open it!" Rory called, the group having snuck in without them noticing.

Dani did as she was told, screaming and dropping it when something jumped out of it. She glared at Emily and cautiously picked it up. "You guys!" She shrieked, when she realized it was a sign, reading: "Happy Birthday Dani!"

"Look in the pockets." Emily urged.

Dani laughed when she pulled out a poster of the Jonas Brothers. "You know me too well."

"Keep looking."

Dani clapped her hands when she found a gift card to a local bookstore. "Hey!" She protested when Jess snatched it out of her hands.

"Thank you." He tucked it in a pocket, spinning away from Dani when she tried to take it back.

"Jess." She groaned, jumping on his back. "I'm too tired for this." She shrieked and wrapped her legs around him as he whirled around. "You're going to make me sick." She warned him.

He stopped quickly. "You can get down now."

She quickly took her gift card back. "Thank you." When she was safely in her seat, card in her purse, she chuckled. "Works every time."

"You're mean." Jess pouted, sitting on her.

"Little sister in pain." She poked him until he got up. When he turned back to look at her, she got up and hugged him. "Thanks." She whispered.

He tightened his hold on her. "Love you."

"Love you too." She murmured.

He snorted. "You better."

"You have no idea."

When they separated, Jess slung his arm around Rory's shoulders and hugged her close, kissing her temple.

"The last part of your gift is a date with the mall." Lorelai spoke up.

Dani shrieked, clapped her hands, and shook her head, sending her hair flying. "When?"

"Tomorrow- 8 in the morning." Emily told her cheerfully.

"But." Dani protested. "My chemo is at 5 that night."

Lorelai dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "We'll catch it on the way home."

"Okay…" Dani looked a little hesitant, then her eyes lit up and she pointed to Jess. "Tonight you owe me a Legally Blonde and a Summerland."

"But Dani." Jess complained. "It's 10 at night."

"Fine." Her sentence was broken by a yawn. "One Summerland."

She and Emily led the way up the stairs.

* * *

"Let's go!" Dani pulled Emily and Lorelai toward the mall the next morning.

"So what store do you want to hit first?" Lorelai asked.

Dani thought for a minute. "Forever 21!"

"Good choice."

"And then Limited Too, and Saks, and, oh, we need to go to Claire's."

"It's going to be a long day." Emily muttered.

* * *

"Hey." Jess greeted them when they stopped by the diner on their way to the hospital. "How was- what the hell have you done to your hair?"

"Do you like it?" Dani asked, twirling her now brown hair around her finger.

"Um, I guess."

"Hey guys!" Rory came out from the apartment. "Oh my God. What have you done to your eyes and hair?"

"Contacts and dye." Dani mocked her.

"Wow, now you actually look like Jess's sister." Rory surveyed her and then turned to Jess.

"Sadly." He teased, making Dani smack him on the back of the head.

"I'm glad that I don't look so much like Liz anymore." Dani said, her words laced with bitterness. Emily put her arm around her friend, hugging Dani close.

"You sure accomplished that." Jess told her, tugging on a brown curl.

Dani smiled, the smile not quite reaching her newly brown eyes. "We'd better go."

Lorelai noticed that something wasn't right between the two. "Jess, why don't you take Dani to her chemo?" She suggested, quickly forming a plan.

"You'd be okay with that?" Jess turned to Dani, who nodded, looking weaker and more…scared than he had ever seen her.

"Scoot, scoot." Lorelai shooed them out of the diner. "Let's get to work, guys!"

"Hey." Jess stopped Dani before she got in Luke's truck. "You are okay, right?"

"Yeah." She paused, calculating her next words. "I'm just really scared, Jess."

"Good." Dani stared at him, confused. He laughed. "Otherwise, I'd be worried that you were an alien." She smacked his arm, when he started up the truck.

* * *

"Hey." Dani greeted Julia, the nurse at the hospital, later that night.

"Hi Dani. How do you feel?"

"Ask me that when I'm done." Dani teased.

Julia turned to Jess who was standing against the back of the wall. "Her body should accept the chemicals better this time, now that they have already been introduced."

"Body, meet Chemotherapy. Chemo, this is my body." Dani teased.

Jess shook his head. "You're so weird."

Dani glared at him. "Watch it. It's my birthday, you're not allowed to call me weird."

"No, it was your birthday yesterday. So today, I can call you what ever I want." Jess corrected.

"Today is my Sweet 16, so suck it up." Dani told him firmly.

"Fine." Jess watched in mixed fascination and horror as Julia inserted the IV needle into Dani's arm.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Dani and Jess left the hospital, Dani falling asleep almost as soon as she settled into the seat. Every now and then Jess would glance at her, wondering what had happened to give them this battle to fight.

When they reached the diner, Jess shook her gently. "Wake up, Kris."

"Go 'way." She swatted his hand away, not opening her eyes.

"Birthday girl." Lorelai had opened Dani's door and was unbuckling her like Dani was four instead of sixteen.

"I feel horrible. Go away." Dani insisted.

"Honey, you need to go inside." Lorelai helped her out gently.

"Fine." Dani slowly made her way into the diner, leaning on Jess, her face ashen. As the trio made their way into the diner, Emily watched them, obviously shocked. Rory didn't blame her, nobody had expected this. "I'm going to bed." Dani told the group sleepily, letting go of Lorelai and Jess and heading up the stairway.

As soon as Dani was out of earshot, Emily turned on Jess. "You!"

He backed away nervously. "Emily, please don't get mad."

"You could have called me. You knew she wouldn't call me, that makes it your job." Emily advanced on him, hands on her hips, looking so intimidating that he was actually starting to cower.

"I was going to." He tried.

"Liar." She scoffed.

"Come on, Em. It's kind of hard to call your little sister's best friend and say that her friend is dying!" He protested.

"Yes, but it's a necessary evil!"

"Emily." He said softly.

She avoided his gaze, blinking away tears. "Is she really dying?"

He nodded, closing his eyes briefly before forcing the word out. "Yeah."

Emily sank onto the floor, leaning against the wall, ignoring the lone tear that made it's way down her face. "How long has she known?"

"Six weeks." Jess admitted.

"It took you six weeks to tell me?"

Jess stood astonished that she was still tearing into him, "Em, I was a little busy trying to console Dani and coping with her diagnosis myself. Don't you think I would have called if I wasn't busy with my own shit!" Jess yelled as he stepped into her personal space.

"Don't give me that line Jess William Mariano, you know that you and Dani are my family too. Get your head out of your ass long enough to care about someone else for a change!" She spat.

Jess was overtaken with anger as he tightened his fists trying to find an outlet for his rage. He stood nose to nose with Emily as he growled in a low terrifying voice. "You know all about selfishness, don't you princess?" He turned on his heel and exited the diner flinging the glass door so hard it shattered.

"That's right." Emily hissed back. "I'm just a spoiled little brat, who always gets her way."

Jess turned around. "Well at least we've solved the mystery of your father's death." Jess's mind was reeling as he strode off unsure of where. The only thing he knew was that he needed to get away.

Emily slammed her fist into the wall before collapsing in a chair, staring at Jess's retreating back

Emily furiously wiped her tears as she heard footsteps coming her way. "Hey what's wrong?" Came Rory's voice, startling her.

"Nothing." Emily stood abruptly and grabbed her backpack, heading up the stairs. "Dan? I have to go."

Rory sat watching Emily wondering, 'What happened?'

"Thanks for coming down, Em." Dani was lying on the couch, flipping channels.

"Anything for you Dani, you just gotta say when and where." The two girls hugged and Emily pulled her keys out of her pocket, jingling them absent-mindedly as she headed down the stairs. "Bye." Emily said with a small wave.

"Bye." Rory replied, "It was nice to see you again".

"Yeah, you too." Emily paused, contemplating her next words. "Will you tell Jess I said bye?"

"Yeah, you too." Emily paused, contemplating her next words. "Will you tell Jess I said bye?"

Rory nodded. "Course."

Emily smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"Sure, but wouldn't you want to tell him?" Rory tried.

Emily shook her head. "I really gotta go." Her tone turned bitter. "He'll be fine without me."

"Emily, I know it isn't my business, but did you and Jess get into a fight?" Rory asked genuinely concerned and curious.

"Little one." Emily shrugged. "Trust me, we've had way worse."

Rory smiled and asked in a teasing voice, "Little One?"

Knowing that she was trying to break the tension, Emily smiled, "Yeah, you have a new nickname. Take care of them for me, huh?"

"Definitely!" Rory said, "Things will be okay with you guys, right?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah."

Rory watched through the window as Emily loaded her backpack into the car and was opening her door as Jess came running up. She smiled as after some talking and ignoring on Emily's part, the two hugged quickly and Jess watched her drive off.

"Everything cool?" Rory turned to Jess as he entered the diner.

"As a penguin habitat." Jess said with a smirk and walked up to check on Dani leaving Rory flabbergasted.


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey all- Sorry about the wait. I had a family emergency in Nashville and ended up being gone five days, but here it is now. **

**This is kind of an angsty chapter, just to let you know. Mel and I have been in some weird moods lately. lol **

**Briannen**

* * *

Dani winced as the IV needle entered her arm a week later. Dr. Shelt had stepped out of the room to talk to Lorelai who hadn't trusted her to drive back safely.

He looked up briefly before saying, "She is much weaker than she should be. I think that she needs to take things easier."

"Take things easier?" Lorelai echoed. "She's practically doing nothing as it is!"

"Ma'am, I understand that she is sitting still, but she needs sleep. The more rest she gets the easier for her to combat this illness. Much more energy is used when simply being awake than realized." Dr. Shelt said trying hard not to sound harsh.

"A nurse will be over shortly with a new prescription for Dani's sleeping pills. She is to take one twice daily."

"Sleeping pills? Doctor-" Lorelai struggled to keep her temper under control. "This child is doing nothing! The last time she was outside was when she dyed her hair a week ago. She's schooling at home and sleeping and that's it!"

"I'm sorry, but this is what is best for her." He tried.

"Best for her to not be able to live her life?" Lorelai hissed.

"She is dying, Ms Gilmore!" Dr. Shelt pointed out.

Lorelai gasped as she brought her hand across his face as hard as she could. "You insensitive bastard!"

"Do you want to know the truth or lies?"

"The truth." She said weakly, "How long?"

"I'm giving her two to five years." Dr. Shelt sighed.

"Wow." Lorelai whispered. "Does she know yet?"

"I want you to tell her." Dr Shelt nodded toward the room.

"What?" Lorelai asked, shocked and angry. "That is your job to inform your patients, not mine."

"It's my job to take care of them." He corrected. "Not to hurt them."

"So you pawn off anything bad on the family and friends? You should be reported for this." Lorelai said storming off in the direction of Dani's room.

* * *

Jess was running his long slender fingers through Rory's hair as they sat on the bridge kissing, their books disregarded long ago. They broke apart when air became a necessity, panting slightly. "Wow." Was Rory's only response through her haggard breathing.

Jess smirked as he caught his breath. "Finally managed to take away your rambling, huh?"

A blush crept up her cheeks as she smirked, "Sure did." She paused. "Ready to tell me what that fight with Emily was about?" She tried knowing Jess was going to avoid the topic.

"Nope." He tried to kiss her again, but she pushed him away.

"Tell me!" She insisted.

"Why do you need to know?" He asked annoyed

"I just want to know what was so bad Emily felt she needed to run back to New York?" She said feeling as though she was talking to a wall.

"Rory." He cursed under his breath and ran his hand through his hair. "I just really don't want to talk-" He was cut off by Lorelai running onto the bridge, tears filling her eyes.

"Mom?" Rory said as her voice showed a hint of fear.

Lorelai held up her hand stopping Rory, "Jess I really need to talk to you about Dani and her treatment with Dr. Shelt, aka The Walking Ass!" As she saw him hesitate she rushed on. "Please." She let her true fear show in this simple statement.

"Lorelai what is it, what did he say?" Jess went into panic mode.

"He- He said-" Lorelai's voice broke.

"He said what Lorelai?" Jess's voice rose to a very unnatural pitch as his mind ran every possible scenario.

"She's getting worse." Lorelai sobbed, sinking beside Rory.

Jess looked like someone had hit him in the stomach as Rory walked over and wrapped her arms around him in a sense of silent comfort. "How much worse?" he choked out in a whisper.

"She's on medication." Lorelai wiped her tears and stared out at the water.

"What kind?" He asked pitifully.

"To make her sleep, to help her body fight the illness." Lorelai had pulled herself back together and was pacing up and down the bridge, her heels clicking against the wooden planks.

"What the hell, all she does now is sleep!" He yelled

"Well, her 'doctor' says that she needs help." Lorelai spat with a venom neither of them had ever seen in her.

"What? Is he slipping himself the meds? We need a second opinion!" Jess spat walking toward the diner with one thought on his mind, 'Find Dani a new doctor'.

"Jess, calm down." Rory caught his arm, pulling him in a circle.

"Not when it comes to _my_ sister." He spat as he continued his march.

"Jess." Her tone is what stopped him. "We've known this was going to happen. What have we been telling ourselves for two months? Honey, she's dying." Rory wrapped her arm around his shoulder, using her other to tip his face up to meet her gaze. "So it's coming a little quicker than we expected, but we're going to be okay."

Rory turned to her mother, "What else happened?"

"I haven't told her yet." Lorelai spoke past Rory to Jess. "I thought you should."

"Where is she?" Jess spoke without turning around.

"The diner."

* * *

When Jess entered the apartment, he found Dani on the raft, her face white, her brown hair spread around her like a fan. She didn't move as he sat beside her, slipping his hand into hers. "Hey, sis." He spoke quietly, not wanting to wake her.

Dani blinked rapidly trying to get her bearings before forcing out a strangled, "Jess?"

"Yeah Kris it's me, how ya feeling?" He asked rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

"Like crap ran over by a truck." She said smirking slightly making Jess chuckle.

"Well let's see what we can do about that, huh?" Jess said wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she cuddled into his side.

"You have bad news, don't you?" Dani said looking at their hands that were still connected.

"Sorry Kris, but I want you to see another doctor, yours is not doing any good and seems to not care." Jess said looking at her with sad eyes. "That sounds harsh, but that is how he is talking to everyone of us and you need positivity."

She stared at him, reading him like one of their books. "Jess, that's not it."

"Part of it." He protested

"Liar." She scoffed dryly frowning at him, "Well what is the rest of it then, dipstick?" Pausing, she commented "He told you how long I have, didn't he?" Dani turned away from him, closing her eyes.

Jess simply nodded as the dam broke and he clutched Dani mumbling, "I can't loose you!" She held her older brother as he cried, laying his head in her lap and brushing his hair with her slender fingers. Dani didn't cry, absorbing the news like water through her skin, being strong for Jess, her family, Emily...and for herself. Jess clutched her as close to him as possible neither noticing Luke, Lorelai and Rory walk into the door surveying the scene.

Rory walked over to them and leaned down to Jess's ear and kissed him whispering, "You won't loose her, she is always in your heart."

"She can't die." Jess snapped, startling everyone in the room.

Dani crawled in his lap after he sat up. "I'm not going anywhere." She told him firmly, kissing his cheek.

He buried his head in her shoulder as he hugged her, "I'm holding you to that!"

Dani giggled at his actions, "Hey five year old, can I have my seventeen year old brother back?"

"No." He stuck his tongue out at her, pleased he made her laugh.

Lorelai and Rory giggled at their banter as Luke watched with a smirk, his eyes showing concern for both Dani and Jess. "Although, if you lick me like you used to..." She warned. Jess leaned forward and licked her hand as she groaned, "_Jess_!" He laughed and deposited her beside of him as he got up to run from her wrath. She jumped on his back as he ran across the room. "You are so _gross_!" She told him, wiping her hand.

Luke chuckled as Jess ran past him with Dani on his back. "A little help Luke?"

"You're on your own."

"Gee thanks, Uncle Luke." Jess said, attempting to unwrap Dani from his back as she locked her wrists and ankles laughing at his attempts. Dani shrieked as Jess fell backward onto Luke's bed, squishing her.

Dani's screech made Jess jump and turn to check on her. She sat up slowly as she rubbed her side with one hand and reached behind her with the other frowning as she pulled out a book. "That so doesn't belong on a soft bed!" She whacked him with the book as he got up off her. "You suck!" Dani grumbled still holding her side as she walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Jess pulled a book out of his pocket and began to read as Luke and Lorelai returned to the diner, Rory curled up next to him, reading over his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Rory asked gently afraid that he would blow up again.

Neither noticed the door to the bathroom open as Dani walked over tossing a cup of cold water on them. "Not on my bed." She giggled.

"Jeez!" Jess leapt up, leaving most of the water to splash on his girlfriend.

Rory shrieked as she jumped up shocked, "You are so gonna get it!" she yelled as she chased after Dani following her into the diner that was full of customers.

* * *

Dani lay on the bridge late that night, the water's reflection dancing off her face. The diner had long since closed and Lorelai and Rory had gone home, leaving Jess and Luke to clean up. Dani watched her reflection in the lake, noticing the pale face and hollow cheeks. Her eyes almost looked sunken now, giving her a haunted glow. '_Jeez, I look scary._' She thought. She leaned down to touch her reflection, the water rippling around her fingers. She sighed deeply as she finally broke down to tears. She lay back down, staring at the sky as tears cascaded down her face. "Why?" She finally spoke as her voice broke. Her sobs subsided as exhaustion overcame her and she drifted off to sleep.

Jess finally found her a couple of hours later. "Kris." He said gently as he shook her shoulder, noticing the dried tears staining her cheeks. She awoke crying, a knot growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Jess, I don't feel so…" She trailed off as she leaned toward the lake, retching. Jess pulled her hair back as she coughed.

"Jeez, Kris." He rubbed her back comforting her. After she finished, she wiped her mouth, tears still tracking their way down her face.

"I'm tired of feeling like this Jess!" She cried pitifully. "Please make it stop."

As she curled into a ball, Jess pulled her into his lap, smoothing her hair and kissing her forehead. "I wish I could."

As soon as Dani's cries turned into a restless slumber Jess carried her home ignoring his uncle's questioning gaze as he entered the diner and went upstairs. Later, Jess was woken by the rustling of sheets. Sitting up, he found Dani writhing on her bed, sweat beading itself on her forehead.

He rushed over to her side and placed his hand on her forehead feeling the heat radiating off her skin. "Luke!" He yelled as he went to the bathroom to get a thermometer. The air was pierced by a scream as Dani cried in her sleep, tears of pain or fear, Jess wasn't sure which.

Luke wrapped her in her blankets as he yelled to Jess, "Come on we're taking her to the ER."

"No." Jess locked the door, standing in front of it. "We can't let that monster touch her." Taking his sister from Luke, he shook her slightly. "Kris! Wake up!"

"Jess, she needs help and we can't give it to her, please!" Luke sounded so lost. Jess stood there seeing the emotions flying across his uncles face.

Dani whimpered, twisting and thrashing in his arms. "Don't touch me." She wailed in her dream.

"Please?" Luke pleaded.

Jess looked as his sister as she flinched from some unknown creature. "Let me try."

"Whatever you do, do it quickly!" Luke agreed, keeping a careful eye on his niece.

Jess pulled off the sheets covering Dani as she sobbed. Grabbing ice packs from the freezer, he packed them around her, trying to bring her temperature down. He paused, as she shrieked, "Jess. Help me!"

"Shhh, Kris I'm here." Jess kept mumbling as Luke paced around the tiny apartment.

As she stopped crying, her eyes flew open. "Jess." She grabbed him, pulling him down beside her and curling into him. "He was coming."

"Who was?" Jess asked, knowing the answer.

"Him..." She sobbed as she clung to him.

_Paul. _The word echoed in his head as clearly as if she had told him. "He's not coming back." He soothed, rubbing her back as she clung to him.

"Promise?" In that one word she conveyed all the fear she had.

"I promise." He kissed her gently, feeling her shake in his arms. "He isn't coming for you." Jess tried.

"He is too, I can still feel his breath as he held me down." Dani cried hysterically.

"Shhhh." Jess tried to soothe her as he rocked her.

Jess watched as her hand traced a circle on her temple. "This is where he put the gun to my head." Dani pushed him away, "I still feel his touch, I cannot get his hands off me. I still feel him tying me to the bed, tightening it to where it cut my wrists, placing the rope around my stomach and pulling it. I can still see the scar running down his side as I fought as he tied those ropes and hear his voice as he called me a bitch." She cried. "I still feel the sting from the slap when I screamed as he forced himself into me. Told me that if I didn't hold still he'd do it again and again." Her voice had an echoing tone, living the horrible memories that were forever etched in her mind.

"The tears I cried as he continued to threaten your life if I didn't shut up completely soaked the blanket on the bed. I covered the bruises the best I could and avoided you until they healed. I can still hear my screams echoing in here." Dani began to pace the apartment as if in a trance. "I can still hear his voice leaving threats on the answering machine. I can still feel the fear."

She began to shake, but kept pacing. "I can still feel the pain from the clothes being torn off, from the buttons popping off and hitting me. He told me he would come after me again, and I can't stop him!" She stopped and collapsed onto the floor sobbing. "I'm not strong enough to stop him." She looked up at Jess and her eyes flickered with hate, malice, and fear. "He's coming."

Jess sat shocked on the bed unable to move. She had never told him what happened before and he was so shocked he couldn't move. 'Must Kill Paul' was the first thing that popped into his head as he looked at Dani's broken form.

His sister was hurt and broken. And there was nothing he could do to change that.

Luke was the first to break his trance as he crawled over to Dani gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder to help her up. She cringed as he touched her and yelled, "No, please not again!" before everything became black.

* * *

Luke picked Dani up and jogged to his beat up green truck with Jess following closely. Once inside Dani was propped up beside Jess as he ran his fingers through her hair and murmured, "Please be ok." Over and over again.

Once at the ER Jess ran ahead of Luke to get some help, "My sister woke up with a fever and has collapsed. She has cancer, her doctor is Dr. Shelt."

The nurse looked at her list of available doctors and said "Dr. Shelt is out of town, Dr. Shirley Chitty will be taking over his cases while he is gone." Jess stood there biting his lip trying to keep his laughter under control as they placed Dani on the gurney and rolled her into an examining room.

Luke looked at Jess, "What are you laughing at?" Jess's laughter filled the room as he just pointed to the doctor's name on the attending board behind him. "Dr Shirley Chitty?" Luke scoffed. "My god, that must be embarrassing."

"Ya think?" Jess said sarcastically.

Luke's face lit up as he fought the urge to laugh and lost. "That is just so wrong!"

Jess looked at Luke smirking, "Lorelai and Rory would love this." He said as he walked over toward the payphones.

"Hello?" Rory sounded half-asleep. Jess mentally kicked himself as he realized it was 1:30 in the morning.

"Hey, sorry I woke you." Jess said as he stuffed his free hand into his pocket.

"Jess?" Rory yawned, making Jess grin.

"I'm at the ER." He blurted.

"What?" Rory said suddenly completely awake.

He sighed and leaned against the payphone, "Dani had a-" He paused, struggling for the right word. "A thing."

"What kind of thing?" Rory asked as she started up the stairs to wake Lorelai.

"She had some kind of dream and had a major temperature and was screaming and stuff." Rory gently shook her mother's shoulder as she listened to Jess.

"What kind of Dream? What was she screaming?" she asked as Lorelai sat up mouthing 'what?'

"'Don't touch me.'" After a moments pause he added, "She told me what happened."

"Oh." She said shocked. "Um, we'll be there shortly ok?"

"Thanks."

Jess looked over toward Luke who had leaned against the wall staring at the double doors leading to the examining rooms with a blank expression obviously in deep thought. "Jess?" Her voice stopped him as he moved to hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Will she be okay?"

Jess paused. "I think so."

"Good." Rory said as she pulled on a hoodie over her camisole and pulled out a pair of jeans "We'll be there soon, ok?"

Jess sighed, "Thanks Ror. I'll be by the doors waiting and I lo..."

Rory took a deep breath as Jess stuttered to amend the statement "Um I'll be looking for you by the doors, bye." he slammed down the phone leaving Rory stunned and speechless.

"Rory hun, are you ok?" Lorelai asked as she noticed her daughter's catatonic stance.

"Yeah." Rory said, grabbing a jacket. "But Dani's in the hospital." When her mother started to speak, Rory cut her off. "I'll explain on the way."

* * *

The girls drove to Hartford in record time as Rory explained everything but the near slip from Jess. Jess was leaning against the wall, eyes closed when the two hurried through the doors. "How is she?" Lorelai asked, turning to Luke.

"We don't know." Jess said hollowly. "They aren't telling us a single damn thing."

"What exactly happened? Where is Dr. Shithead Shelt?" Lorelai asked with distain dripping from his name.

"He's not on duty." Jess informed her. "Dr. Shirley Chitty is."

Giggles erupted from the Gilmore girls as Lorelai yelped, "No way, you are making that up!"

"Look at the board." Jess pointed behind her.

Rory pointed her finger to the board and bent over grasping her stomach with her other hand as she choked out. "It definitely is surely shitty to be stuck with that name."

Jess stared at his normally quiet girlfriend in shock. "What did you just say?"

Rory's eyes sparkled. "You heard me." she said lifting her head and erupted into laughter again as she saw the faces of her shocked boyfriend, mother and father figure.

"Since when do you curse so casually?" Jess asked.

"Since my boyfriend called and woke me up at 1:30 in the morning." Rory teased.

Lorelai pointed a finger in Rory's direction her facial features cold, "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I am appalled, shocked, and..." Lorelai paused as a grin took over her features. "Completely proud of you! You really are my mini me!" She hugged Rory as they giggled at Luke's reaction.

"You're impossible." Jess groaned, taking a seat.

Rory curled up on his lap, kissing him deeply. "And you love me anyway."

Jess stiffened in his seat as Rory grinned down at him innocently, "What?" Jess was saved from having to answer to the knot in his throat by a nurse calling: "Family of Kristin Mariano?"

* * *

"I'm Dr Shirley Chitty." The doctor introduced herself when the four had gathered in her office. "I'm the one on duty and I'm taking care of Kristin."

"How is she?" Jess asked, voice tense.

"She will be fine with a few days in the hospital. We are giving her some medication to make her sleep and to fight the pain that she is in, also we are giving her some fluids, since she is dehydrated." The doctor smiled.

"Will you be taking over her case for good?" Rory asked already liking Dr. Chitty much better than Dr. Shelt.

"But there's also bad news." The doctor continued. Jess closed his eyes, steeling himself for the worst. "I want her on partial bedrest. We did some tests, the leukemia is taking over her body far quicker than we thought. Apparently sometime during her rape, she was cut, losing a fair amount of blood, thereby weakening her immune system that much more."

"What do you mean by cut?" Lorelai asked fearing the answer.

"You'll have to get her to show you." Dr Chitty said. "But you can go in and see her now."

Jess was the first one in the room, stopping abruptly in the doorway at the sight of his sister. "What is this quack talking about? Were you cut?" He asked in tears.

"Hello to you too." She told him, voice soft and cracking.

"Kris?" His voice was breaking as he asked. She sighed, pushed down the sheets to reveal a pair of initials carved into her hip. 'PA', was written clearly on her skin. Jess started swearing as he punched the wall. Luke stood in shock as Lorelai and Rory turned their heads as Rory started to cry.

"Jess." Her soft voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, more pronounced by her white face. "I'm going to get better. Not all the way, I know. But Jess, please, don't push me away." When he started to protest, she placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him effectively. "I know you don't mean to. But right now, I don't need my brother, I need my best friend."

Jess looked at her and he immediately leaned down to her level wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry Kris."

"I know." She soothed. "But you can make it up to me."

"Um, how?" He asked nervously, worried about what she would ask.

She looked smaller than ever when she looked up at him, scooting over in the bed. "Hold me." It was such a childlike request, Lorelai felt her heart break for the little girl in the bed.

Jess complied letting Dani snuggle into his side.

Rory decided to ease some of the tension by saying through a smirk, "Hey, get your own man." That sentence caused the room to giggle.

"Dirty." Dani teased quietly.

"Gross Kris." Jess yelled as he jumped from the bed causing Luke and Lorelai to laugh harder.

"Get back here." Dani commanded, pointing to her bed.

"Make me." Jess dared her.

"Hey Rory." Dani beckoned to her. "You will never guess what Jess did."

"I'm coming!" Jess yelped.

The room laughed as Jess grumbled as he got into the bed. Luke tugged on Lorelai's hand leaning down to her ear, "Can we talk outside for a minute?"

* * *

"Teach me how to do that." Rory leaned on the bedrail.

"No, don't." Jess whined as Dani opened her mouth to start her lesson she noticed Luke whispering in Lorelai's ear.

"Hey, hey, hey, no secrets in here, love birds." She said giggling.

Lorelai looked put-out. "Meanie." Dani just pointed to the door. Lorelai silently cheered, just what she had wanted.

Dani looked proud of herself, "They are so getting together!" She pushed Jess off the bed. "Go listen."

"Why me?" He whined

"Rory and I need to talk and you can't be here, now shoo!" She said waving him away.

"Fine." He grumbled, heading for the door.

Dani pulled herself onto her pillows, patting the bed, gesturing for Rory to sit. "I want you to promise me something."

"Anything just name it." Rory said with a smile. "You want me to break you out of here?"

"Not exactly." Dani considered her next words carefully. "I'm dying." She blurted. "I know it. I don't think there's much they can do for me anymore."

"Dani." Rory took the girl's hand. "Don't talk like that."

Dani stared at something in the distance. "If something happens to me, I want you to take care of Jess."

Rory looked at Dani and sat lost in her own thoughts, "What if I fail?" She whispered in a small voice. "I can't do that to you or him."

Dani looked surprised at Rory's response, "Why do you think you will fail?"

"Jess is pretty stubborn." She tried looking toward Dani knowing she wasn't buying the story.

"Oh puh-leez!" Dani said making her voice sound like Daffy Duck.

Rory giggled slightly and looked toward the door making sure Jess wasn't listening, "I guess I'm scared." She finally admitted.

"Scared of what?" Dani asked twisting her body into a more comfortable position.

"Well..." Rory trailed off as she played with the edge of the sheet that was covering Dani. "I think I'm afraid to become too dependant on him. I mean just look at my mom, she is great but no man has ever stuck around. I don't want to have that kind of disappointment. I feel like I would be forcing Jess to be near me if I made that promise to you." Rory looked ashamed at her admission she finally whispered, "I'm falling in love with him and I can't let that happen."

"Why not?" Dani asked sympathetically.

"Why what?" Rory looked confused not realizing that Dani had heard her last confession.

"Why can't you fall in love with Jess?" Dani repeated.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." Rory said looking at her hands.

"Well, I did. And Rory-" The older girl looked up. "I need you to make me this promise."

"Dani…" Rory whined, biting her lip trying to think of a response.

"Please, Rory." Dani pleaded.

Rory looked at Dani's hopeful expression and smirked slightly, "Two things before I agree."

"Name 'em."

"First teach me how you get Jess to bend to your will all of the time." Rory said smiling.

Dani smirked. "Gladly."

Rory's face turned serious as she looked Dani in the eye, "Promise me you won't leave until I'm sure I can handle this responsibility." She finished looking afraid as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I promise." Dani didn't know why she wasn't crying. Dani smiled sadly. "I don't know why I'm not crying. I feel like I should."

Rory wiped her tears and hugged Dani, "I promise I will look after him, I kinda have to when I love him."

"Good." Dani returned the hug.

"What's good?" Jess asked as he, Luke and Lorelai walked back into the door.

Rory smiled brightly, "Dani is teaching me how to make you do tricks!"

"Danielle!" Jess whined, sending her a pleading look.

"What?" She asked innocently, "I get something out of the deal too," She winked in Rory's direction.

Lorelai bellowed, "Dirty!"

Dani laughed, "I couldn't help it."

"Aww, jeez!" Luke grumbled walking out into the hall.

"I love you too, Uncle Luke." Dani teased, yawning widely.

"Time for the princess to go to bed." Lorelai caught the yawn. "Good night, Dani."

"Or good morning, depending on how you look at it." Jess pointed out, as Rory hugged Dani and left the room.

"Night." Dani said through another yawn.

"Good night, Kris." Jess kissed her forehead gently.

As he pulled open the door, she called after him. "I love you."

"Love you too, sis!" He replied as he gently shut the door with a soft click.


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey all! I kinda kept my promise this time, Mel and I did update a little faster. This is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue thingy soon! We _WILL_ be doing a sequel and have already started on the first chapter. For you High School Musical fans, I am working on a HSM story that should be up soon, so please check that out. For those of you who aren't and have no clue what I'm talking about, go watch the movie! lol **

**I'm not uploading the sequel until I have 7 reviews. 5 last time?? Come on, people! This chocolate chip cookie that I'm holding likes being given to the nice, nice people that review… **

**Love ya'll! **

**-B**

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_This story is dedicated to my awesome beta Melody, or Curley-Q. This story(and the sequel) would not be possible with out her help. Check out Mel's new Literati story everyone! Love ya, Mel._

* * *

"Dani?" Dr Chitty entered her room. Dani waved, looking up from '_Gone with the Wind'_. "Good book?" The doctor asked. Dani shrugged, turning back to her book. "Dani?" The woman repeated, obviously wanting a verbal answer.

"Yes?" Dani struggled not to let the agitation creep into her voice.

"I have something to talk to you about." The doctor said gently.

"Okay, shoot! What is it this time I will be dead by tomorrow morning? Cause if that is the case leave me alone to enjoy the last few hours alive in peace!" Dani snapped, her voice quivering, showing the fear that she was trying so desperately to keep at bay.

The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder attempting to comfort her, "Shhhh, none of that kind of talk. I have some potentially good news." She said with a small smile.

"What kind of good news?" Dani asked in disbelief.

"Well, I think that if we gave you a few rounds of radiation along with your chemotherapy we may get the upper hand on this. Would you be willing to try?" Dr. Chitty asked with gentleness that was never there with Dr. Shelt.

"You are much better than Dr. Shelt and I think I will trust your judgment. Just one thing, what side effects will I have now?" Dani said with tears pooling in her eyes, terrified of the answer.

Dr Chitty smiled at the trust that this young girl was obviously placing in her. "We can't really predict what the side effects will be but it should be very common to what you are having now. No worries."

"Okay." Dani said firmly "I'm trusting you, so don't disappoint me." She finished with her signature smirk making Dr. Chitty laugh.

"Now there is something you must understand," The doctor continued on a serious note.

"Oh, boy." Dani muttered under her breath.

"We would love for the radiation to work, but that's no guarantee that it will." Dr Chitty reminded her, Dani nodded slowly, processing this information carefully.

"Well, let's try something! I have nothing to loose but my life!" Dani replied.

"You make it sound so cheerful." Jess teased, walking in.

"Well, I was always a glass half full kind of girl." She teased back winking at Dr. Chitty.

"I think I walked into the wrong room." Jess retorted.

"Oh go away." Dani shooed him away, settling into the mound of pillows around her.

"But I thought you loved me, your only brother." Jess said bringing his hand to his heart.

Dani retorted, "That I know of."

"You're not helping." Jess told her firmly.

"But I'm always helpful." Dani said in the perky little 'Barbie' voice she knew drove him crazy.

"Kris" Jess growled, "Stop right now!" She just smiled sweetly and turned back to her book. "What are you reading?" Jess asked coming closer to her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Gone With the Wind." Dani showed him the cover, already engrossed in the story.

"Okay." He said simply watching her read, knowing it would annoy her.

After several minutes she shut the book with a snap. "Stop watching!" She demanded.

"What?" He asked innocently, "The TV?" he turned his gaze to the television which was showing a picture but had no sound coming from the speakers.

"No stupid." Dani snapped. "Me."

"When was I watching you?" He asked innocently as he smirked at her.

"I- you-" She groaned, silently fuming. "Go away." She dug her feet into his leg, resisting the urge to hit him as he just shifted slightly.

"Bite me." He retorted, picking up her book and settling in the corner of the room, curling up in a chair. Dani stared at him, then turned and screamed into her pillow. Jess just smirked as he glanced over his book watching Dani practically smother herself in her pillow. "You may want to come up from making out with you pillow for some air."

Dani mumbled with her face still buried in the pillow, "God, you're annoying!"

"Just taking lessons from you, little sis!" Jess said making a face at her causing her to laugh.

"You suck!" Dani said sticking her tongue out at him

"What you say is what you are." Jess teased.

"Grow up, Jessie!" She said smirking knowing she would hit a nerve.

"That's it!" He said as he tossed his book into the chair he vacated and walked over to Dani preparing to tickle her until the door opened.

"Mom?" Dani quickly sat up as the two looked at the visitor who had just entered.

"Hey," Liz said with a small wave "How are you feeling?"

"A lot worse now." Dani snapped, not to pleased to see the woman who had let her down so many times before

Liz hung her head, "I'm sorry." She said simply as she looked between her children suddenly feeling very ashamed of herself. "I should go, leave you alone huh?" she finished with tears springing into her eyes.

"Yes please." Dani pointed to the door.

Jess stood completely frozen as he watched his sister and mother unsure what to make of the tearful expression on his mother's face as she silently turned and left never saying a word. After she had been gone for a moment he turned to Dani, "Well that was weird!"

Dani looked up to Jess, "Definitely weird, you spazzed!"

Jess quickly switched to another topic. "Dani, do you have to treat her like that? I mean, she is our mother."

"Yeah, a hell of a mother she is too! Don't you think?" Her voice filled with malice.

"Dani." Jess tried to reason with her.

"What?" She growled, "Don't try to defend her sorry ass!"

"Why not?" He suddenly retorted.

"After all we have been through, you're honestly going to ask me 'why not'?"

"Tell me Danielle. Tell me why I shouldn't defend her."

"How about the fact that she never gave two shits about what ever happened to us! Always going out getting stoned and drunk leaving us at home alone. No food in the house and the only thing ever in the cabinets was liquor and beer in the fridge. We saw the rats and cockroaches more than we saw her!" Dani yelled as tears ran down her face. "She never protected us from the beatings that we got from her boyfriends and hell I even was raped, so why the hell should I want to see her? You know. There is a reason why I didn't tell her I had cancer." Dani snapped. "And are you forgetting that when she couldn't handle us when anymore, she shipped us off to someone else?" Dani added venomously.

Jess just stood still letting her vent. He knew that she needed to get all this negativity out into the open and was trying to help her do it by making her angry. "So?" He said knowing that she would get pissed and took a couple of steps away from her leaving casually on the wall.

"So? Jess, please, for the love of God, tell me why I should accept this woman as my mother!" Dani yelled, Jess's goal was accomplished.

"Why not Kris?" He asked starting to smirk.

"Because-" She swore fluently and groaned, sinking back into her pillows, knowing that her brother wouldn't give a straight answer at gunpoint.

She sighed deeply and fell back into her pillows. "Jess!" she growled

"What?" He asked innocently

"Don't play the innocent card big brother!" She said as she pointed to him and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm in trouble now." Jess mocked.

"Yes!" Dani said, finally figuring out that Jess was baiting her. "You are evil!"

"Glad we cleared that up." Jess retorted.

"Smart Ass!" She said as he walked over to her and hugged her.

"Yep!" He said chuckling, "You love it though!"

Dani rolled her eyes, "You're so sure of that, are you?"

"Not any more!" he said looking down at Dani's expression of disgust.

Dani cracked up. "Can I have my book back now?"

"And you call me evil" He said handing her the book.

* * *

Lorelai was walking around shuffling papers and attempting to get Michel to help the guests instead of ignoring them when she noticed a woman walk through the door with blonde hair. As she got closer she noticed tear tracks on her face. "Welcome to the Independence Inn, I'm Lorelai. Man I help you?" She asked in a perky voice that she wasn't sure where it came from.

"Yes. I need a room." The woman answered.

"Sure thing Ms. ..." Lorelai trailed off attempting to get her name.

" Elizabeth Danes." Lorelai worked very hard to keep the shock from being evident on her face.

"Oh, okay so, um here is your key and enjoy your stay." She said in a rush as she snapped her fingers to get a bell hop, " Devon please take Ms. Danes bags to room 7." She turned to Liz, " Devon will take you to your room, Just let us know if you need anything else."

"Thank you."

As soon as the woman was out of sight and earshot, Lorelai picked up the phone. "Do you know who was just in here?" She hissed to Luke.

"Santa?" Luke asked obviously annoyed, "No, the Easter bunny?"

"Your sister." She snapped, exhausted from being at the hospital and sick of his games.

"Yeah, she's in town." Lorelai could have strangled him.

"And you were going to tell me this when?"

She could almost hear his shrug. "When I saw you."

"And it's suddenly impossible to pick up a phone and call someone?" She almost lost her temper, but refrained, remembering that he and she had both been at the hospital extremely long hours, it wasn't fair to take her tiredness out on him.

"Lorelai, I'm sorry I didn't call, I just never dreamed she'd go to the Inn. Forgive me?"

"Forgive you." The bell right beside her dinged and she jumped, realizing there was a customer standing there. "I have to go, someone's waiting." She screwed a pleasant smile on her face, turning to face the man standing before her. "How may I help you?"

* * *

Dani slept restlessly that night, dreading the first radiation treatment they had scheduled for the morning. Lorelai and Luke had insisted on coming and Jess hadn't left her side during the day, though going to Stars Hollow at night. Whenever the doctors came to check on her, she woke from the light doze she had occupied. Finally at 4:45 she turned on the light and began to read. That's how Dr Chitty found her at nine that morning, prepped for chemo and ready to go. "Did you get any sleep last night?" The doctor asked, noticing the dark circles that were prominent in her pale face.

"Not very much." Dani looked up, her eyes bloodshot and a little red.

"Nervous?" The doctor asked, signaling for the nurse to come and start to wheel Dani down to the radiation room.

"Oh yeah." Dani admitted.

"Most of our first-time patients are." The doctor reassured her. "Now this is very simple as you know since we did it in the simulation yesterday. We'll go in and you'll lie in the position we did yesterday and the rest of the staff and I will go behind the shield after we focus it on your abdomen where the leukemia is most prominent. You will hear the machine being turned on and off and that should be it. We'll be able to hear you so if you experience any discomfort, let us know." Dani nodded simply. "Now, you will be in here for about 25 minutes, so just let us know if you need anything." Dani bit her lip as she assumed the position on her back as the aides prepared the machines. "You know there's nothing to be worried about. Right?" The doctor noticed the slow whitening of the girl's face.

Dani nodded. "Yeah. I'm just pretty scared."

"You'll be fine." The doctor told her as the aides exited and she herself prepared to leave. "It's okay if you fall asleep, just don't move."

Dani closed her eyes as the click of the machines filled the room and then there was silence.

* * *

When she was wheeled out, feeling the same as she had going in, without the fear though, she yawned widely. "I bet you're ready to go to sleep now, huh?" Dr Chitty teased gently. Dani nodded through another yawn. "Your family's here." Dani smiled as she spotted Jess, Liz, Luke and Lorelai seated in her room.

"How is she?" Liz asked, a worried tone taking over. Dani assumed Luke and Jess had told her about the cancer.

"She was a champ." Dr Chitty told her, laughing as Dani yawned again. "She didn't get much sleep though, so she'll probably be tired, though that has nothing to do with the radiation." She glanced around the room. "May I see the two boys privately?"

As Luke and Jess rose and exited the room with Dr Chitty, Dani made a face at Jess, which he returned, grinning as she rolled her eyes. Once out in the hallway, Dr Chitty turned to them. "Well no sense in beating around the bush. Dani was absolutely amazing in there. After a few days at home, I want to take her in and run some more tests to see if this is worth continuing. I have high hopes that it will, but I want to talk to you about what we do after this." Luke and Jess nodded, processing slowly. "When she hopefully goes into remission, we will need to do a bone marrow transplant to replace some of the cells in her pelvic bone that were killed during the treatment. We can start looking for a donor so that we're ready when we need it."

"But won't that just be tempting fate?" Jess broke in.

Dr Chitty shrugged. "It's medical science, there is no tempting fate." When Jess looked skeptical she sighed. "We can wait though, if it would make you feel more comfortable."

"Just a little while longer." Jess pleaded.

"All right." The doctor clapped her hands signaling the end of the conversation. "Go take care of that little girl." She ordered, exiting the hallway. Luke and Jess looked at each other and shrugged, going back to do as the doctor has said.

* * *

Dani slammed her head into the counter as Dr Chitty read off the list of possible bone marrow donors. "Your mother, uncle, and brother were not matches." She informed her.

"What, how is that possible?" Jess growled from his spot in the corner of the room.

"It just is, dumbass." Dani's temper was on a short fuse and it was getting even shorter.

Jess shot Dani a look of pure malice as Luke clamped a hand over his mouth before he could retort. "Where do we go from here doctor?" Luke asked politely, feeling completely helpless

"We will need to continue testing people for possible matches. Do you have anyone you could ask?" The short redhead asked.

The room was silent for a moment before Rory asked, "Could you test me?"

"We could, but if her family didn't match, it's very unlikely that you will match." Dr Chitty replied.

"Please." Rory begged as Lorelai looked on shocked.

"No Rory, if anyone they will test me." She said sternly

"We can test both of you, but once again the chances are slim of either of you matching."

Dr. Chitty looked between the two women and chuckled as she noticed them sticking their tongues out at one another. She turned to Rory, "You will have to get your mother to sign for your test since you are underage."

Lorelai lifted both hands in victory, "See I still own you!" She teased making the room laugh and Rory pout

"I won't look at it quite like that." Dr Chitty chuckled, sliding the necessary papers over to Lorelai.

Looking over at Rory who was still pouting she asked the doctor, "While she is under can you make her more like me and less responsible?" She smiled widely at the doctor's strange expression. Rory walked over, "Ignore her, she forgot her meds this morning." Jess chuckled at their banter causing Lorelai to glare at him.

"I didn't do it." He defended quickly, causing Dani and Rory to laugh.

Dr. Chitty shook her head and continued her paperwork as she left to schedule the tests. Dani looked up noticeably scared, "What happens if they can't find a match?"

Dr. Chitty stopped by the door, "We will do everything to find a match, don't loose heart yet!"

"Good." Dani obviously relaxed.

* * *

Dani tried not to tear up, thinking of what would happen if they didn't find a match, if the radiation stopped working, if, if, if...Jess noticed her vacant expression, under her contacts he could still read her emotions like a Hemmingway novel.

Rory stopped mid sentence as she noticed Jess's worried expression. Following his intense gaze, she noticed Dani's tormented expression, stood, and walked over to her bedside followed closely by Jess. "Dani?" She said softly, "Are you okay?"

Dani snapped back to earth and smiled a false smile that would have fooled anyone but her brother. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Really Kris?" Jess asked letting her know he wasn't buying it in the least.

She nodded, smiling wryly. "Yeah, I'm fine." She tried the lie again.

"Kris." Jess growled growing impatient with his sister.

"Jess." She mocked without her usual enthusiasm. That's what worried him the most.

"Kris, what is really going on in that pretty head of yours?" He tried switching tactics.

"Flattery will get you no where." She continued to stare at the wall, not seeing it. The group, seeing that they needed to be alone, cleared the room. Rory looked over her shoulder as she exited, wondering if this nightmare would ever end.

"Ready to tell me what's going on?" Jess asked, watching, though a little repulsed as she took out her contacts, blinking as her eyes adjusted.

"No." She said stubbornly.

"Kris..." He trailed off as he watched her eyes fill with tears, only to have her quickly blink them away as if she was scared to cry.

Her voice trembled as she finally said, "I'm scared...what if the radiation stops working? What if they can't find a donor?"

"Well then we'll figure something else out." He soothed. "Do you really think we'd just sit here and let you die? Well, I would, but Rory would kill me." He teased, wincing as she slapped him 'playfully'.

"Shut up, jerk." She yelped as he tickled her.

"No." He continued to tickle her, his fingers finding her most ticklish spots.

Dani's laughter filled the room and spilled into the hallway where everyone was waiting. Smiles overran the group as they heard the laughter knowing that Dani would be okay, come hell or high water.

* * *

Several weeks later after Rory, Emily, Rebecca, Sara, Babbette, Lane, and Miss Patty had all been tested and had come up no match; Dani was on pins and needles waiting for Lorelai's result. After Lorelai, she didn't know who else to turn to. Jess had noticed a change in her behavior recently and she knew it. She saw the change as well, she wasn't eating as much, hadn't picked up her guitar in several weeks, hadn't touched a microphone in several months, not having the energy to sing. The entire town was feeling the pressure of coming up with a match, it was hard for everyone to see Dani fading away before them.

Lorelai sat in Dani's room waiting for Dr. Chitty to arrive with the final test result. The only thing echoing in her thoughts was the statement from Dr. Chitty '_We could, but if her family didn't match, it's very unlikely that you will match._' Lorelai felt hopeless as she nibbled her bottom lip watching Dani sleep.

Dani woke with a jerk when Dr Chitty entered the room. "What does it say?"

Lorelai giggled at her attacking the doctor, "Jeez Dani, let the door at least close."

"No, thank you. You may be my bridge between life and death." Dani said the words in a teasing tone, but everyone caught the meaning behind them.

"Well Dani do you want the good or bad news first?" Dr. Chitty said with a solemn expression making Lorelai and Dani's stomachs drop.

"Just spill it!" Dani said impatiently.

"Well it looks like both of you will be in a bit of pain, because Lorelai is a match! Congratulations, the surgery is at the end of the week." Dr. Chitty said smiling.

Dani screamed joyfully and hugged Lorelai who giggled at the girl's reaction. "I think someone's excited." Lorelai told the doctor, her eyes overly bright

Dani calmed down before pointing an accusing finger at Dr. Chitty, "That was cruel!"

"Yes it was." Dr Chitty retorted, making Dani grin.

"I like her more and more." Lorelai said laughing at the banter.

"I need to call Jess." Dani announced, searching the room for her phone. "Crap. Where is it?"

"Chill out, we can call in a second. You need to calm down before you exhaust yourself." Lorelai said as she reached for the phone.

"I'll get over it." Dani reached for the phone and groaned when Lorelai held it just out of her reach. "Mean!"

"Now, now, be a good little girl and I'll let you tell them," Lorelai laughed at her sour expression. "Hold your horses!"

"'Be a good little girl'," Dani mimicked. "Give me the damn phone!"

Lorelai cackled, "Um, no!"

Dani pouted, giving her the puppy dog face. "Please?"

"Damn it, that face should be illegal!" She pouted as she relinquished the phone making Dani smile.

Dani laughed evilly, "No, it shouldn't." When she dialed and it showed it being programmed into the phone, she smirked. "You have Luke's number in your phone?"

Lorelai's face fell as she stammered attempting to come up with a plausible excuse. "Um well you see... I... we..." Dani laughed at Lorelai as she finally blushed and said, "I'm just going to go get some um... coffee, yeah coffee."

"Right." Dani teased, then held up a finger showing someone had picked up. "Hey."

* * *

Dani stared at Lorelai's retreating back, frowning slightly until she become aware of Jess repeating, "Hello? Hello?"

"Oh, Jess, sorry about that." She said as she laughed at herself. "What's happening?" She asked casually.

"It's a slow fling." Jess sounded bored. "Mom's doodling at the counter, Kirk is...doing something Kirk-ish." Dani laughed as she heard a loud "Dammit Kirk!" in the distance. "Yeah, um, anyway not much."

"Lorelai's a match!" She screamed not able to contain her excitement. She clapped her hand over her mouth as she finished. "Shit." She swore as Jess laughed at her.

"Watch your language." Lorelai reprimanded her, walking back in, coffee in hand.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly as her smile grew.

"A match?" Jess brought her back. "Kris, that's awesome!"

Dani could hear Luke in the background, "What?" followed by the breaking of glass.

"Yeah, Lorelai's a match." Dani smiled clapping her hands, the phone sandwiched between her ear and shoulder.

"Let me talk to her." Dani heard the two wrestling for the phone. "Hey Dani." Luke won.

"Hey Uncle Luke."

"So, Lorelai's a match, huh?"

"Yup." Yes, the Danes family can be monosyllabic when they want to be.

"So um." Luke said as he smiled thinking that it figured that Lorelai was the one and only match, "When will they do the surgery?"

"Lorelai's going to schedule it now." Dani motioned for Lorelai to go, making the older woman laugh.

"Gee, was that a heavy hint or what?" Lorelai stage whispered, laughing before she got up to do as she was told.

As soon as Lorelai was out the door Dani's smile fell, "Uncle Luke?" she said in a childlike voice.

"Yes?" Her uncle sounded concerned.

"Can you come to the hospital, I want to talk to you privately please?" She asked afraid that he would say no

"Of course." Luke said gently, wondering what was going on with his niece. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

* * *

Dani hung up the phone anxious to talk to Luke. Lorelai walked into the room and looked at Dani who was lost in thought. "I got it scheduled for next Thursday. We have to be here at 5 am." She said still watching Dani who had not responded. "Then they will sew us together to make us Siamese twins. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Dani started at the 'Siamese Twins'. "They're going to sew us together?"

"So you were kind of listening!" Lorelai teased

"Little tiny bit."

"What has you turning into a space cadet?" Lorelai asked worried.

Dani smiled, truly smiled at the thought of what she had to ask Luke. "Nothing."

"Sure" Lorelai said sarcastically as she couldn't help but notice Dani's smile beaming from her pale face.

"I'm happy, that's all." Dani told her, standing up. "Can we go home now?"

"Not quite yet. We have to wait on some paperwork and they have to take some blood from you again," Lorelai said apologetically.

"Please let me go..." Dani pleaded as Dr Chitty came into the room, syringe in hand.

"Just a little longer, I promise" Dr. Chitty said as Dani pouted.

"Shoot." Dani winced as she felt the familiar sting of the needle.

"Watch your language." Luke warned as he entered the room.

"Don't wanna." Dani said sticking her tongue out at him and pulling her sleeve down.

Lorelai giggled at her antics as Dr Chitty explained the procedure and the dos and don'ts for their morning of routine.

"Now can I go home?" Dani asked hopefully, her jeans hiding the shakiness of her legs.

"Let me double check first." Lorelai said leaving Luke and Dani alone.

"Uncle Luke?" Dani turned to him, face hopeful. "I have a favor to ask you. It's kind of a big one, and I'm a little nervous, so just..." She paused. "Hear me out, okay?"

Luke looked confused as he swallowed hard, "Do I need to sit down?"

Dani started to pace. "You don't have to..."

"Dani, what don't I have to do?" Luke asked wanting her to just spit it out.

"I want you to adopt us." She blurted out, he eyes widening when she realized what she just said.

Luke's head shot up and he smiled widely, "What did you just say? I think I mis-heard you."

"No. I want you to adopt us." She took a deep breath, tears threatening to spill over. "And this is going to sound incredibly cheesy, but I feel safe with you and I-" She cut herself off. "This is going to sound really selfish, but I'm worried about money. I need financial support for the radiation, there's no way Liz could support us."

Luke looked at Dani shocked and beaming with pride at the same time. "Dani I would love to, but I don't think that Liz would sign you over to me that easily." He finished sounding defeated.

"Liz will definitely sign me over." Dani said. "Her baby boy though, you're going to have trouble with."

Luke laughed, "Jess, her baby boy?"

"Yeah." Dani smirked. "He's always been her 'precious one'. It's actually hysterical to watch."

"I have to see that!" Luke said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, you do." Dani's smirk faded as she remembered how she had always been the outcast, sure Liz had wanted to 'hang' when she was sober, but Jess was always her baby, her first born, and then there was Dani.

"Come here." Luke commanded opening his arms allowing Dani to cuddle into his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." She hugged him tightly, treasuring those three words.

Lorelai opened the door in time to hear the exchange of 'I love yous' and smiled before announcing her presence. "Great news, we can leave free and clear."

"Yay!" Dani sprang up, immediately regretting it, as the muscles in her legs screamed in protest. Lorelai and Luke watched helplessly as she crouched down biting her lip as the pain coursed through her. Her back arched as all of the nerves in her body yelled as if they were on fire.

"Dani?" Lorelai's concern filled voice echoed in the suddenly silent room, "Hon, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Dani's lip started to bleed as she bit it. "I'll be fine." The pain increased as she tried to stand and she grabbed a table for support.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked as he guided her into a chair.

"Yeah." The pain started to lessen and she stood. "Start coughing up the bone marrow." She teased Lorelai. "I'm going to need it."

Lorelai's face was priceless as Dani joked with her, "Well I may not do that now missy." She teased.

Dani stood in front of her, as tall as she was, of course her boot heels added an inch, but no one needed to know that. "Wanna bet?"

"Luke save me from your niece!" She faked a scared look, grabbing Luke's arm. As he tried to resist her, she tripped, falling on top of him with a loud 'ompf' laughing. Dani howled with laughter at the look on the two's faces.

"Okay! Enough!" Luke barked as the two stood and dusted themselves off. .

"I wanna drive home." Dani pleaded, holding out her hands for the keys.

"Um, no!" Luke said looking at her sternly, "Not with those cramps in your legs like that!" he finished holding up a hand

"I wanna drive." Dani whined. "It's just because I stood up too suddenly. Let me drive."

"Dani." Lorelai tried, "Sweetie give your body some time to heal before jumping into everything full force, please." She begged

"I haven't driven in a month, please let me drive!" Dani stamped her foot, sounding like a toddler who didn't get their way.

"Danielle!" Luke's temper began to flare.

"I wanna drive!" Dani yelled, her temper reaching it's peak.

"No!" Luke yelled as she stood with her arms folded pouting. Lorelai stood shocked in the corner not knowing what to do.

Dani let out a frustrated groan and stomped down the hall. "Come on!" She yelled when Luke and Lorelai just stood there.

"Where does she hide possessed Dani?" Lorelai asked making Luke chuckle.

"Who knows?" Luke answered, the two of them heading toward the parking lot.

* * *

**THE END**

**2nd A/N: And that people was the end of The Way We Were! The epilogue should be up in a few days to no later than a week. The sequel will be called 'Some Hearts' and should be up soon as well. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's hot and I'm ready to go to bed. lol**

**Please let me know what you thought!**

**-Briannen**


	22. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

The bone marrow transplant was done successfully almost a week later. With finals soon approaching, I was cramming to get all my schoolwork done, hoping against hope to pass. I almost collapsed a few times with all the added stress, freaking Jess and Emily out. Emily had come down after the first radiation treatment, figuring I needed the extra support. Thank God for best friends, huh? The bone marrow surgeons didn't not sew Lorelai and me together as she had predicted. I'm pretty sure she was actually disappointed.

* * *

_Emily frantically ran down the hall skidding to a stop asking for Dani's room when she saw Lorelai and Dani completely drugged out of their minds being wheeled into the operating room. Laughing as she heard Lorelai singing, "All of me, you can have all of me," completely off key and Dani's drunken giggles as they disappeared through the swinging double doors. _

_That's disturbing." She said to Jess, making him jump. _

_"Completely!" He agreed once he calmed down. "You should have been here earlier, that was truly hilarious!" He said with a smirk._

_Emily's face lit up as she asked, "Why, what happened?"_

_"Luke and I got a free show from Lorelai and poor Luke was fifty shades of red." He said laughing._

_"Do you have pictures?" She asked. _

_"No. Thank God." Rory answered, walking into the waiting room, coffee in hand, backpack on. "I'm off to school. Call me and let me know how it goes. Bye." She kissed Jess, waved to Emily and headed out. _

_"When did that happen?" Emily asked waving her finger between Jess and Rory's retreating figure._

_"Like five months ago..." Jess stared at her. "Dani didn't tell you?" Jess noticed Emily's hurt expression, "I guess not." _

_"I can't believe she didn't tell me." Emily looked at Jess. "Should I be mad?"_

_"Nah, she probably just forgot she hadn't told you." He tried knowing Dani would be in hot water by judging Emily's sour expression. Luckily, he was saved from having to answer as the doctor returned with news that the surgery was over and they could go see them shortly. _

_"You go first." Emily gestured to the hallway. "I'll wait."_

_"Thanks Em." Jess said turning to walk down the long sterile hallway to see his baby sister and the woman who he felt in debt to for saving her life. _

_Emily sank into a chair, battling her crush on Jess and her happiness for him. She frowned as she heard Luke and a doctor talking. "I'm glad we got this done in time, if we had waited she would have gotten worse and there would have been very little hope."_

_"What are the chances that this won't work?" Luke asked worried not noticing Emily listening to his every word._

_"I'd say it's about 50/50 at this point." The doctor admitted._

_"Thank you doctor." He choked as he walked toward Dani's room. Emily sat in silent shock as a tear slipped down her face. She felt so...uninformed. Her best friend had been dying and she hadn't even known._

* * *

The time passed quickly as both of us recuperated quickly, Emily and I worked things out and she went back to New York. I was given the wonderful news that I appeared to be in remission, the only thing to do now was get Liz to agree to let Luke adopt us. Luke, Jess, and I began our fight for the adoption almost immediately. Jess suggested getting Mom drunk and getting her to sign us over, which Luke and I vetoed instantly. We actually talked to her, she cried, I cried, you get the general picture. Long story short, she agreed to sign us over, knowing that Jess would be an adult in a year's time.

* * *

_Dani groaned as she watched Luke sign another paper. "Can we stop yet?" She whined._

_"Would you chill out?" Jess asked annoyed._

_"Bite me." She responded._

_"If I weren't your brother I would say where and how hard!" He replied cheekily causing Rory and Lorelai to chorus. "_Dirty_!" _

_"Fine, be that way." Dani retorted, crossing her arms grumpily. "Can we stop yet?" She whined. Again._

_"Last one." the attorney said sliding the form toward Luke._

_"Thank God." Dani sighed, leaning back in her chair._

_Luke signed the last paper, giving it back to the attorney cheerfully. "Congratulations Mr. Danes." The attorney started. "You are now the legal guardian of Kristin and Jess Mariano." _

_"Finally!" Dani sighed impatiently._

_The room was filled with various celebrations as Jess just hugged Dani whispering in her ear, "Finally we have a family." Causing her to smile as a happy tear fell down her cheek._

_"It's a weird feeling isn't it?" She teased as he wiped the tear off her face._

_"Extremely!" He smiled as she noticed that his eyes were watery too. _

_"Sap!" she teased hugging him._

_"Shh!" He covered her mouth. "I need to protect my rep."_

_Their laughter brought everyone's attention to them. "Hey we wanna laugh!" Rory pouted. _

_"And?" Jess prompted, bored expression taking over his features._

_"Jess!" Rory whined, sitting in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply making Luke uncomfortable._

_"Get a room." Dani scoffed._

_"Great idea!" Rory said shocking the entire room making her laugh as she choked out, "It was a joke!"_

_"Very funny." Lorelai said sarcastically. "I don't think so."_

_"Oh come on 'Mom'!" Jess teased._

_"I don't think so." Dani replied, remembering all the years she had been the 'mom' and had pulled numerous girls out of their apartment. Her eyes were stony and cold, even through her contacts. Everyone in the room stopped and stared at the girl with wonder as she stared a hole through Jess making his usually calm demeanor turn to a spineless jellyfish with one statement and look._

_"Who put the ants in your pants?" Jess muttered, pushing Rory off his lap, as he and Dani stood facing each other, icy moods penetrating the room._

_"Dani," Rory started timidly, "I was just being stupid. Jess and I aren't...well you know!" She finished blushing as she waved her hands nervously._

_"Stay out of this." Dani growled, her voice lowering to a harsh hiss, not unlike a snake's._

_Rory stepped back as if she had been struck as her eyes filled with tears muttering, "Sorry!" and running from the room._

_"Nice job." Jess snapped, staring his little sister down._

_Luke looked at the siblings shocked as Lorelai looked to him, "Fix this!" she growled before she slipped from the room to find Rory._

_Dani stood almost as tall as her brother without shoes, her heels today giving her an extra inch. "Oh yes, running off people seems to be the Mariano specialty."_

_"What the hell is your problem Kris?" Jess snapped stepping into her personal space, getting close enough that they were nose to nose._

_"My problem?" She laughed humorlessly, almost sounded evil. "You spending more time with your girlfriend than me isn't a problem, but me getting fed up with it is?" That was a lie and she knew it. Jess had spent almost every waking minute at the hospital with her and had just recently started hanging out with Rory a lot. Just, she was used to having Jess to herself, and having to share him, it...hurt._

_"What is the real issue here Kris? I still see you every dammed day and I still love you unconditionally, so what is really your big freaking deal?" Jess yelled as Luke tugged him away from his sister._

_"The deal is I'm jealous dammit!" She screamed, tears starting to slide down her face. "Everyone else has some special 'other' and then there's me! I'm the school slut because no one wants to stay with me! I'm the one who gets beaten and raped by her mother's boyfriend! I haven't forgotten, Jess." She pulled her shirt up slightly, her low jeans exposing the scar from the transplant and beside it the top of the initials, 'PA'. _

_Jess's face blanched as he pulled her close to him letting her tears soak his shirt. "Kris, it's ok!" he said soothingly as he rubbed circles on her back and gave Luke the signal to leave._

_She pushed him away, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "You don't get it do you? I'm tired of being held and coddled! I want to be out there doing something! I'm tired of being at home all the time! I'm tired of being alone!" She fully broke down now, sliding down the file cabinet into a crouch, her body hunched over._

_Jess stood in the center of the room confused. "Then why the hell are you bitching at me?" He asked, loosing his temper making her look up at him, smirking slightly. _

_She sighed. "Finally, you treat me like you did before this started. I won't break, I just want everything to stay the same!" She sobbed._

_"Stay the same as what?" Jess snapped, tired of going in circles._

_"Every since I got sick you treat me like I will break! I'm tired of it, just treat me like you did before I got sick!" she said as she wiped her tears. _

_"I haven't-" Jess began, before Dani cut him off. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." She stood, carefully wiping her tears, trying not to smudge her makeup. _

_She walked out into the hallway, leaving him standing there, extremely confused._

* * *

Things have been a bit rocky between us since then, he's off with Rory a lot more, and I'm still at the bookstore 24/7, still cramming for end-of-year tests. Looking back, I can't really tell a time when my brother and I have ever had a fight as bad as that one, but things will get better, won't they?

Almost a week after the fight, I started feeling stronger. I thought Lorelai was going to cry when I finally picked up a guitar. The first song I played was 'Somebody's Hero' by Jamie O Neal, I made sure Lorelai knew I was playing it for her, sending her fully into tears. When she hugged me after I was done, I whispered: "I meant every word."

A mother-like bond grew and encircled me and Lorelai after that. Liz went back to New York and Lorelai and Luke started seriously dating(and actually admitting it) afterward. When finals were through and summer holidays began, Rory left for Washington D.C. for some thing with her school, leaving Jess and I to work in the diner silently, tension hovering over us like a giant cloud. After almost three weeks, we finally started talking again, albeit like we had never met before, but it was a step in the right direction. Lorelai became my best friend over those three weeks, and remained as a surrogate mother, much to Luke's amazement and to Jess's fury. After he discovered me on the phone with Lorelai for the third time that evening, Jess finally asked, "Where's the Dani who was in New York?"

* * *

To which I replied, "That's just the way we were."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it! I almost cried when I finished, not sure about Mel…lol We've had a change of plans, we are changing the sequel title from 'Some Hearts' to 'Don't Take the Girl'. Mel and I had a stroke of brilliance and decided to change it. Not sayin' nuffin' about the sequel though. **_**'Our lips are sealed…' (Cough) **_**Um, yeah, anyway. He-he… **

**I'll hopefully be posting the trailer for the sequel later tonight, so be on the lookout for that. I might try taking on two stories at once and try to get my High School Musical one up. But if I don't do that story, I will definitely put up an HSM one-shot. (_Jumps around and claps, then blushes_) I actually did that, didn't I? Oops…**

**B**


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